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THE  LIBRARIES 


Bequest  of 

Frederic  Bancroft 

1860-1945 


HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES 
OF  CHRIST  IN  ILLINOIS 

1  8  1  9—1 914 


By 
NATHANIEL  S.  HAYNES,  A.M 

Author  of  "Jesus  as  a  Controversialist" 


Cincinnati 
The  Standard  Publishing  Company 


A' 


Copyright,  1915 
By  Nathaniel  S.  Haynas 


^-^-;2^-^C 


DEDICATION 

To  those  men  and  women,  few  but  true,  who  hold 
lender  and  grateful  memories  of  our  glorious  heroes  of  the 
LONG  AGO,  who  are  yet  forceful  factors  in  the  MIGHTY 
NOW,  who  are  inspired  by  the  splendid  vision  of  the 
BETTER  TIME  TO  COME -to  those  elect  remnants  of 
the  LORD,  my  faithful  and  glad  fellow-helpers  in  this  labor 
of  love,  with  sincere  appreciation,  I  dedicate  this  book. 

N.  S.  HAYNES. 
Decatur,  Illinois,  March  7,  1914. 


CONTENTS 


FACE 

Foreword 9 

CHAPTER   I. 
The  Disciples  of  Christ — Their  Place  and  Plea 13 

CHAPTER   n. 
Beginnings  in   Illinois 20 

CHAPTER   HI. 
Christian   Education 33 

CHAPTER   IV. 
The  Period  of  Conquest — The  Era  of  Public  Discussions 68 

CHAPTER   V. 
Benevolences    88 

CHAPTER   VI. 
Local  Churches  and  Some  of  Their  Organized  Activities 109 

CHAPTER   VII. 
Biographies   461 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

Miscellanea  640 

5 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

J.  W.  Allen 589 

John  C.  Ashley 564 

Atlanta    Church 298 

Allison    Prairie    Church 

Brotherhood    Frontispiece 

Mrs.  C.  C.  Babcock 464 

Col.  E.  D.  Baker 517 

Barney's   Prairie   Church  and 

Site    415 

W.  F.  Black 633 

Bloomington,    First   Church..  281 
Bloomington,    Centennial 

Church   281 

Bloomington,  Second  Church.  281 

Walter  P.   Bowles 603 

E.  M.  Bowman 106 

Clark   Braden 633 

Mrs.  O.  A.  Burgess 103 

J.  G.   Campbell 517 

Carbondale   Church 367 

Champaign  Church 130 

Charleston    Church 130 

Chicago,   Englewood  Church.   150 
Chicago,    Jacksonville    Boule- 
vard  Church 150 

Chicago,  Memorial  Church...   150 
Chicago,  Metropolitan  Church  150 

John  J.   Cosat 517 

Mrs.  Persis  L.  Christian 103 

Mrs.  S.  J.  Crawford 103 


Danville,  First  Church 407 

Danville,  Second  Church 407 

Danville,  Third  Church 407 

Danville,  Fourth  Church 407 

F.  W.  Darst 105 

Miss  Annie  E.  Davidson 103 

Decatur,  Central  Church 298 

Decatur,  First  Church 298 

Decatur,   First  Courthouse...  347 

Miss  Elmira  J.  Dickinson 103 

Daniel  W.  Ellege 630 

John  England 550 

Eureka  College 33 

Eureka   Church 415 

J    H.  Gilliland 517 

J.  R.  Golden 461 

Thomas   Goodman 603 

N.   S.   Haynes 464 

Bushrod  W.  Henry 564 

R.  E.  Henry 461 

T.  T.  Holton 589 

Joseph   Hostetler 464 

D,  R.  Howe 630 

C.  J.  Hudson 106 

Jacksonville  Church 298 

A.  J.  Kane 550 

W.  P.  Keeler 106 

S.  S.  Lappin 564 

Mrs.  Catherine  V.  Lindsay. . .  103 
Long  Point  Church 347 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

Macomb    Church 130 

Wm.  T.  Major 564 

Map  of  Chicago  Churches...  109 

Map  of  Illinois  Churches 109 

J.  B.  McCorkle 570 

D.  D.   Miller 550 

G.  W.  Minier 570 

Mt.  Pleasant  Church 347 

M.  O.  Naramore 106 

Normal  Church 281 

A.  D.  Northcutt 464 

Paris  Church 367 

Pine  Creek  Church 347 

Pontiac   Church 415 

Mrs.  Lura  V.  Porter 103 

E.  J.  Radford 589 

James  Robeson 570 

Rockf ord  Church Zdl 


PACK 

Rock  Island  Church 367 

Wm.  B.  Ryan 464 

Chas.  Reign  Scoville 633 

J.  W.  Sconce 570 

Dr.  John  Scott 630 

C  W.   Sherwood 603 

E.   M.   Smith 461 

Springfield,  First  Church 130 

O.  W.  Stewart 589 

J.  S.  Swaford 106 

The  Sweeney  Family 616 

R.  F.  Thrapp 461 

John  W.  Tyler 550 

J.  G.  Waggoner 630 

H.  L.  Willett 633 

E.   B.  Witmer 106 

John  Yager 603 

S.  H.  Zendt 461 


FOREWORD 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  IlHnois  Christian  Missionary 
Society  in  Danville,  September,  1911,  Min.  R.  F.  Thrapp 
introduced  a  resolution  directing  its  State  Board  to  appoint 
a  committee  of  three  to  select  a  competent  man  to  write  the 
history  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  Illinois.  Mins.  R.  F. 
Thrapp,  J.  R.  Golden  and  R.  E.  Henry  were  constituted 
such  committee.  In  November  following  they  arranged 
with  Min.  N.  S.  Haynes  to  do  this  work.  Upon  the  removal 
of  Mr.  Thrapp  from  the  State,  Min.  S.  H.  Zendt  was 
appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy,  and  upon  the  removal  of  Mr. 
Golden,  Min.  E.  M.  Smith  was  chosen  to  succeed  him. 

The  task  of  writing  the  history  has  proved  to  be  more 
protracted  and  far  more  laborious  than  was  anticipated. 
The  chief  difficulty  was  in  securing  the  materials.  Nearly 
all  of  the  pioneers  were  dead.  The  records  of  many  of  the 
older  congregations  had  nearly  disappeared.  But  the  main 
hindrance  was  the  lack  of  appreciation  by  very  many  of  such 
a  volume  and  their  consequent  indifference  to  its  preparation. 
Among  a  minority  of  willing  and  faithful  helpers  justice 
requires  this  grateful  recognition  of  the  assistance  of  Min. 
T.  T.  Holton  and  Prof.  B.  J.  Radford.  A  decade  ago  Mr. 
Holton  thought  to  write  the  biographies  of  the  pioneer 
Christian  preachers  of  Illinois.  All  the  material  he  for- 
tunately secured  at  that  time  he  graciously  turned  over  to 
the  author.  Without  his  assistance  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  make  this  volume  what  it  is. 

A  goodly  number  of  the  earliest  churches  of  Christ  in 
the  State  grew  out  of  a  reformatory  movement  that  pre- 
ceded our  own.  These  people  were  widely  known  as  "New 
Lights."     But,  since  they  now  disclaim  this  name,  they  are 


10  FOREWORD 

throughout  this  work  referred  to  as  the  ''Christian  Denom- 
ination"— their  accepted  name. 

In  speaking  of  those  who  serve  in  the  high  calHng  of 
the  Christian  ministry  designations  more  Scriptural  are 
employed.  In  this  work  preachers  are  not  called  "elders," 
but  ministers.  Some  ministers  are  elders,  but  all  can  not  be; 
hence,  as  a  general  designation,  it  is  wrong.  Besides,  there 
is  no  perceptible  or  special  affinity  between  the  Disciples  of 
Christ  and  the  Seventh-day  Adventists,  or  the  Latter-day 
Saints,  that  should  lead  to  the  general  designation  of  our 
ministers  as  "elders."  A  true  preacher  is  a  servant  of 
Christ,  and  this  relation  and  its  consequent  obligations  are 
Scripturally  expressed  by  the  word  "minister."  If  an  abbre- 
viation is  needed,  "Min."  is  easily  written  and  is  so  used 
herein.  Nor  are  preachers  termed  "clergymen,"  since  the 
Spirit  calls  the  Lord's  "flock"  his  clergy  or  inheritance.  The 
title  "Reverend"  and  its  contraction  "Rev."  are  also  avoided. 
By  the  mouth  of  David  the  Lord  says  "his  name  is  holy 
and  reverend,"  and  it  is  not  befitting  that  we  so  denote  our- 
selves. If  this  title,  which  has  become  in  recent  years  so 
glibly  prevalent  among  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  is  to  be 
recognized  and  used,  then  why  not  "Very  Reverend"  and 
"Most  Reverend,"  and  so  on  up  the  scale  to  the  climax  of 
wicked  assumption?  In  this  work  "Doctor"  and  its  con- 
traction "Dr."  are  used  to  indicate  a  physician  only.  Its 
general  use  as  meaning  a  teacher  of  religion,  or  of  philos- 
ophy, is  indefinite,  and,  if  for  no  other  reason,  is  objection- 
able. 

It  is  very  gratifying  that  the  facts  in  Chapter  TI.  have 
been  so  well  authenticated.  ]\Iany  of  these,  together  with 
the  section  on  slavery  in  Chapter  VIII.,  were  presented  in 
an  address  delivered  by  the  author  before  the  State  Llistor- 
ical  Society  at  Springfield  in  May,  1913. 

The  incompleteness  of  and  the  inaccuracies  in  the  his- 
tories of  the  local  churches  are  attributable  in  large  measure 
to  the  indifference  and  indisposition  of  many  to  furnish  the 
data.     Repeated  appeals  brought  no  responses.     It  was  with 


FOREWORD  11 

much  regret  that  lack  of  space  compelled  the  omission  of  the 
Hsts  of  the  names  of  pastors,  where  they  were  furnished,  since 
the  growth  of  congregations  has  depended  so  largely  upon 
these  faithful  servants  of  God. 

The  preparation  of  the  biographies  has  been  no  less 
difficult.  It  is  painfully  deficient  both  in  the  subjects  and  in 
their  fair  proportions  of  treatment.  Without  doubt  the 
names  of  some  who  are  not  mentioned  should  appear,  while 
some  of  those  who  do  appear  should  have  received  less  and 
others  larger  notice.  Many  deserving  younger  men  have 
been  crowded  out.  The  names  of  others  may  be  found  in 
the  chapter  on  education  and  elsewhere.  At  best  this  bio- 
graphical chapter  is  an  approximation,  but  it  is  illustrative 
of  the  brave  and  true  men  and  women  to  whom  the  present 
generation  is  indebted  far  more  than  it  is  aware.  In  writing 
these,  the  author  has  brought  under  contribution  the  recol- 
lections, associations  and  fellowships  of  sixty  years  and  such 
researches  as  the  time  permitted. 

He  has  written  in  the  love  of  the  truth  and  with  the 
best  spirit  of  fairness  and  justice.  It  is  believed  that  this 
volume  will  be  a  source  of  valuable  information  and  joyfu) 
inspiration  to  many  multitudes. 

The  Author. 


CHAPTER    I. 
THE  DISCIPLES   OF  CHRIST— THEIR  PLACE  AND   PLEA. 

The  great  apostasy  has  perplexed  all  thoughtful  people. 
The  mystery  of  iniquity  is  an  enigma  of  the  later  centuries. 
The  church  that  was  founded  in  the  wisdom  of  God,  and 
redeemed  by  the  blood  of  his  Son,  forgot  its  heavenly 
origin  and  divine  mission.  Its  light  and  power  were  lost 
and  it  became  the  nesting-place  of  unclean  birds. 

That  was  a  sad  and  sinful  age  upon  which  Martin  Luther 
looked  out.  He  beheld  everywhere  the  usurpations  of  the 
Papacy.  Priests  and  people  were  ignorant  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures.  The  Pope  arrogated  to  himself  the  prerogatives 
of  God.  The  system  of  indulgences  had  grown  to  a  scan- 
dalous height.  John  Tetzel,  a  Dominican  friar,  preached 
and  peddled  licenses  to  sin  in  Germany.  Darkness  covered 
the  earth  and  gross  darkness  the  people.  Then  God's  great 
clock  struck  its  spiritual  midnight.  These  appalling  con- 
ditions awakened  and  stirred  the  soul  of  the  earnest  German 
monk.  He  aroused  in  Germany  a  splendid  turmoil  of 
thought  and  precipitated  a  great  battle  between  divine  truth 
and  human  traditions.  When  its  smoke  had  cleared  away, 
these  three  things  stood  out  clearly:  First,  the  right  of 
private  judgment ;  second,  the  all-sufficiency  of  the  Scriptures, 
and,  third,  justification  by  faith.  Luther  was  a  child  of 
Providence  and  a  mighty  man  of  God.  He  wrought  mar- 
velous results.  But  even  he  could  not  make  the  journey 
from  spiritual  Babylon  to  spiritual  Jerusalem  in  a  day  of 
human  life. 

Bernhardin  Samson,  a  Franciscan  monk,  went  into 
Switzerland  in  1518  selling  indulgences.  He  was  success- 
fully opposed  by  Zwingli,  who  appealed  to  the  authority  of 

13 


14  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

the  word  of  God.  This  beginning  of  the  Reformation  in 
Switzerland  produced  the  Reformed  Church  and  the  Heidel- 
berg Catechism  or  Confession,  written  in  1562. 

Meanwhile,  John  Calvin's  great  mind  was  engaged  upon 
the  religious  problems  of  the  time,  and  gave  to  the  world 
the  theological  system  that  bears  his  name,  but  also  the 
doctrine  of  the  sovereignty  of  God.  The  Almighty  is  the 
supreme  Ruler  and  Arbiter — not  the  man  with  the  triple 
crown,  whose  throne  is  by  the  yellow  Tiber. 

The  principles  of  the  Reformation  swept  across  the 
English  Channel.  The  Anglo-Saxons  possess  a  marvelous 
power  of  genius  for  liberty,  and  that  was  fruitful  soil. 
Henry  VHL  was  on  the  throne.  He  had  written  a  treatise 
denouncing  Luther  and  defending  the  Pope.  Just  then  his 
ardor  for  his  lawful  wife  had  cooled  and  he  wished  a 
divorce  that  he  might  marry  pretty  Anne  Boleyn.  The 
Pope  said  "No;"  the  King  said  "Yes,"  had  his  way  and 
was  excommunicated.  The  Parliament  then  passed  the  Act 
of  Supremacy:  "That  the  King,  our  sovereign  lord,  his 
heirs  and  successors,  kings  of  this  realm,  shall  be  taken, 
accepted  and  reputed  the  only  supreme  head  on  earth  of 
the  Church  of  England,  called  the  'Anglicana  Ecclesia.' " 
Thus  the  chain  was  broken  that  tied  England  to  the  Papal 
throne.  The  Episcopal  Church  had  its  beginning,  and  as 
the  years  passed  grew  gradually  away  from  Papal  errors 
to  Protestant  principles  of  Christian  faith.  And  thus  came 
the  denial  of  the  Pope's  arrogant  claim  to  the  universal 
headship  of  the  church  on  earth. 

A  joint  resolution  of  the  English  Parliament,  June  12, 
1643,  convoked  a  synod  to  settle  the  government  and  liturgy 
of  the  Church  of  England,  and  to  promote  a  more  perfect 
reformation  than  had  been  obtained  during  the  reigns  of 
Edward  H.  and  Elizabeth.  What  afterward  came  to  be 
known  as  the  Presbyterian  "Confession  of  Faith"  was 
finally  adopted  by  the  Assembly  of  divines  in  the  month  of 
December,  1646,  approved  by  the  Parliament  of  Scotland 
in    1647,   and   by   the   English    Parliament   in    1648.     Thus 


THEIR    PLACE   AND    PLEA  15 

arose  the   Presbyterian   Church   with   its   different  branches. 

About  1658  CongregationaUsm  began  to  grow  out  of  the 
Puritan  movement  in  England. 

Out  of  the  rehgious  chaos  of  the  sixteenth  century  came 
also  the  Baptist  Church.  Their  earliest  articles  of  faith 
were  written  by  Zwingli  in  1527.  The  London  *'Con- 
fession  of  Faith"  was  formulated  in  1689,  and  that  which 
held  for  a  century  in  the  United  States  was  cast  in  Phila- 
delphia in  1742.  In  their  earlier  years  the  Baptists  were 
generally  Calvinists.  To  Roger  Williams,  Welshman,  Bap- 
tist, Reformer  and  founder  of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island, 
the  world  is  indebted  for  the  principle  of  the  absolute 
separation  of  the  ecclesiastical  and  civil  powers. 

On  the  human  side  the  Methodist  Church  was  the 
product  of  the  great  mind,  heart  and  conscience  of  John 
Wesley.  His  aim  at  first  was  to  effect  a  higher  type  of 
life  in  the  Church  of  England,  of  which  he  was  a  member. 
The  first  ''Articles  of  Religion"  were  prepared  in  1784.  His 
life  and  work  gave  tremendous  emphasis  to  the  doctrine  of 
human  responsibility  and  personal  accountability   to   God. 

Thus  for  two  hundred  years  the  caravans  of  the  Lord 
moved  slowly  along  the  way  from  spiritual  Babylon  to 
spiritual  Jerusalem.  W^ycliffe,  Jerome  of  Prague,  Huss, 
Luther,  Erasmus,  Zwingli,  IMelancthon,  John  Knox,  Calvin, 
Cranmer,  John  Robinson  and  John  Wesley  were  the  leaders 
whom  the  Lord  raised  up.  They  aimed  and  strove  to  recover 
the  church,  the  body  of  Christ,  from  the  ignorance,  super- 
stitions, wrongs  and  oppressions  of  centuries.  With  their 
faces  toward  the  new  morning,  they  searched,  struggled  and 
suffered  for  Christ's  sake — a  glorious  company  of  God's 
elect.  Severally  and  successively  they  led  the  generations 
to  higher  planes  of  Christian  'truth  and  Hfe.  ^  The  ^  last 
centuries  are  debtors  to  them  all.  Ours  is  a  splendid  heritage 
from  great  souls  who  counted  Christ  and  his  truth  more 
precious  than  their  own  lives. 

But,  alas  for  the  frailties  of  man!  The  creeds  which 
the  reformers  thought  and  hoped  to  use  as  fulcrums  for  the 


16  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

spiritual  uplift  of  the  people  became  barriers  to  Christian 
faith.  Opinions  about  doctrines  were  substituted  for  personal 
trust  in  the  Christ.  Men  were  measured  not  by  the  word  of 
God  in  their  faith  and  lives,  but  by  the  opinions  and  creeds 
of  fallible  men.  Theological  warfare  ensued.  In  their  pul- 
pits, on  the  platform  and  through  the  press,  preachers  con- 
tended and  discussed  with  one  another.  The  leading  questions 
were  of  orthodoxy  rather  than  orthopraxy — correct  thinking 
rather  than  right  living.  As  churches  grew  in  numbers  and 
power,  denominational  pride  dominated.  The  spirit  of  Jesus 
gave  place  to  sectarian  rivalries.  Men  wrangled  and  raged 
about  their  religious  opinions.  The  seamless  robe  of  the 
Master  was  rent  many  times.  Bitterness  banished  brotherly 
love.  Mutual  appreciation  was  murdered  by  disparagement. 
Spiritual  ostracism  supplanted  Christian  fellowship.  Broth- 
erly love  was  crucified  on  the  cross  of  sectarian  bigotry.  The 
children  of  God  came  to  hate  one  another  for  the  love  of  God 
— as  they  supposed.  Thus  the  church  of  the  living  God,  torn 
and  divided,  was  shorn  of  its  power.  Having  lost  its  divine 
ideals,  it  lost  its  divine  aims.  The  evangelization  of  the  world 
was  forgotten ;  the  salvation  of  the  people  was  neglected. 

Out  of  this  religious  travail  the  Disciples  of  Christ  were 
born.  Assuredly  the  Christian  world  needed  a  new  voice.  Did 
they  come  to  the  Kingdom  for  such  a  time  as  that?  The  first 
thing  they  said  was:  "We  be  brethren.  Let  us  not  fight,  but 
let  us  reason  together."  After  a  hundred  years,  the  things 
they  said  are  now  beginning  to  be  heard. 

Protestant  believers  were  divided  in  their  teachings  and 
into  many  religious  bodies.  However,  in  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, these  divine  truths  which  had  been  elucidated  and  em- 
phasized by  the  great  leaders  of  reformatory  movements  had 
come  to  be  the  common  possessions  of  all  evangelical  believ- 
ers. They  all  held — and  do  yet  hold — the  right  of  personal 
judgment,  the  all-sufficiency  of  the  sacred  Scriptures  as  the 
rule  of  faith  and  life,  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ;  all  are  united  in  the  denial  of  the  Papal  head- 
ship of  the  church;  all  affirmed  the  supreme  sovereignty  of 


THEIR   PLACE  AND   PLEA  17 

God,  individual  responsibility  and  personal  accountability  to 
God;  all  stood  for  religious  liberty  and  the  absolute  separa- 
ration  of  civil  and  ecclesiastical  prerogatives  and  powers.  The 
Christian  peoples  who  are  girdling  the  earth  with  this  twen- 
tieth-century civilization  are  all  united  in  these  things. 

The  Disciples  of  Christ  have  pleaded  for  a  return  to  the 
word  of  God  and  the  authority  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  sole  Lord 
and  only  Head  of  the  church.  The  creeds  of  men  may  have 
served  their  purposes  in  former  times,  but  they  divide  God's 
people,  and  division  is  weakness,  inefficiency  and  appalling 
loss.  Bishop  Cranston,  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  before  the  Fed- 
eral Council  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in  America,  said: 
"The  church  of  Jesus  Christ  upon  earth  is  constitutionally, 
intentionally  and  logically  one,  and  we  are  staying  apart 
without  reason,  economy  or  warrant  of  Scripture."  As  a 
revelation  of  God,  the  Bible  is  all-sufficient  and  alone-sufficient 
in  the  salvation  of  men  and  in  their  preparation  for  the  eter- 
nal life.  Amid  all  the  clashing  confusion  of  earth  and  time, 
only  the  authoritative  voice  of  Jesus  can  bring  assurance  and 
peace. 

The  Disciples  plead  for  the  reproduction  of  the  Church 
of  Christ,  which  is  his  body  on  earth ;  for  a  return  to  and  a 
restoration  of  primitive  Christianity  in  all  its  fundamental 
elements.  What  is  its  basic  teaching?  What  are  its  divinely 
appointed  ordinances  ?  What  its  required  and  essential  fruits  ? 
What  does  the  New  Testament  say?  To  the  law  and  the  tes- 
timony. "Where  the  Bible  speaks,  we  speak;  where  the  Bible 
is  silent,  we  are  silent."  Assuredly  this  is  a  safe  and  wise 
rallying-cry. 

The  Disciples  plead  for  the  union  of  all  God's  people  on 
the  common,  catholic  grounds  of  the  Bible.  Divisions  to-day 
are  the  crowning  sin  of  Christendom.  The  Holy  Spirit  con- 
demned divisions  when  he  spoke  through  apostles,  and  Jesus 
prayed  for  the  unity  of  all  his  people  "that  the  world  may 
believe  that  thou  hast  sent  me."  All  efforts  for  Christian 
union  must  fail  that  are  based  on  denominational  interpreta- 
tions of  the  Bible.    Opinions  may  serve  in  their  places,  but 


18  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

they  must  be  subordinated  to  "thus  saith  the  Lord."  Hap- 
pily, all  evangelized  believers  are  now  agreed  in  the  catholic 
elements  of  the  gospel ;  namely,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  to 
save  and  the  Lord  to  lead,  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  can  make 
a  man  of  God  perfect  and  thoroughly  furnish  him  unto  all 
good  works,  that  immersion  and  the  Lord's  Supper  are  the 
ordinances  given  by  him  who  has  all  authority  in  heaven  and 
on  earth,  that  Christ's  people  should  wear  his  name,  and  that 
they  should  aim  and  strive  to  reproduce  his  life  in  their  own. 
Tennyson  expressed  this  goal  when  he  wrote:  "Step  by  step, 
with  voices  crying  right  and  left,  I  have  climbed  my  way 
back  to  the  primal  church,  and  stand  within  the  porch,  and 
Christ  is  with  me." 

It  is  believed  that  the  Scripturalness  and  catholicity  of 
the  position  and  plea  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  are  evidenced 
by  the  fact  that  so  many  ministers — to  say  nothing  of  thou- 
sands of  others — have  left  the  various  denominational 
churches  and  now  stand  together  on  common  ground  and 
unitedly  serve  the  one  Master.  From  this  multitude  the  fol- 
lowing are  noted  here  as  illustrating  examples:  W.  H.  Book, 
from  the  Baptist  Church;  M.  M.  Davis,  from  the  M.  E. 
Church;  T.  H.  Adams,  from  the  Protestant  Methodist 
Church ;  W.  G.  Loucks,  from  the  Christian  Denomination ;  J. 
V.  Updike,  from  the  Church  of  God;  James  Small,  from  the 
Presbyterian  Church;  A.  B.  Jett,  from  the  Cumberland  Pres- 
byterian Church ;  C.  C.  Redgrave,  from  the  Congregational 
Church ;  T.  P.  Bauer,  from  the  Lutheran  Church ;  Claris  Yeu- 
ell,  from  the  Plymouth  Brethren ;  D.  P.  Shafer,  from  the 
Reformed  Church ;  James  Vernon,  from  the  Episcopal 
Church ;  C.  M.  Price,  from  the  Seventh-day  Adventists ;  D. 
H.  Bays,  from  the  Mormon  Church,  and  T.  J.  O'Connor, 
from  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  Nearly  all  of  these  micn 
are  living  and  are,  or  have  been,  active  ministers  of  the  gospel 
in  the  churches  of  Christ. 

Mr.  J.  Wood  Miller,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  visited  the 
Englewood,  Chicago,  Church  of  Christ  on  a  Wednesday 
evening  in  1912,  and  read  from  memory  Mark's  Gospel  to 


THEIR   PLACE   AND   PLEA  19 

the  congregation.     Later  he  sent  them  the   following  note: 

My  Friends  : — Never  was  I  so  greatly  pleased  as  in  my  reception 
at  your  church.  It  is  only  what  could  be  expected  from  your  most 
distinctly  American  of  all  the  churches  in  the  United  States  that  I 
know  of;  organized  here  and  having  the  stamp  of  the  universal  church, 
too,  under  the  head  of  immersion,  the  original  baptism;  Christian,  the 
original  name;  the  whole  Word  as  the  only  creed,  and  observing  the 
Supper  every  Lord's  Day,  the  primitive  custom,  with  every  saint  a 
preacher.  Having  read  Mark  before  perhaps  five  hundred  churches, 
I   recall  no  larger  or  more  responsive  prayer-meeting  audience. 


CHAPTER  II. 
BEGINNINGS   IN    ILLINOIS. 

The  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  witnessed  a 
widespread  revolt  against  human  authority,  both  Papal  and 
Protestant,  in  religion.  Many  men  in  many  places  came  to 
see  that  God  alone  can  be  Lord  of  the  conscience.  Every- 
where these  reformers,  protesting  against  the  creeds  of  coun- 
cils and  the  dogmas  of  fallible  men,  appealed  to  the  Bible 
alone.  Everywhere  their  aim  was  the  emancipation  of  the 
church  from  the  bondage  of  human  traditions  and  rule.  This 
movement  first  focalized  in  the  religious  body  known  as  the 
"Christian  Denomination."  For  many  years  they  were  called 
"New  Lights,"  but  since  they  have  never  recognized  this 
name,  it  is  unfair  to  so  designate  them.  They  were  also 
called  the  "Christian  Connection"  and  "Christian  Church." 
Throughout  this  work  they  are  referred  to  as  the  "Christian 
Denomination." 

Min.  James  O'Kelley  withdrew  from  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  during  its  first  General  Conference,  held  in  Bal- 
timore in  1792.  In  his  earlier  years  he  was  a  classmate  of 
Thomas  Jefiferson  and  Patrick  Henry.  He  was  a  popular 
preacher  and  an  old  presiding-  elder  from  Virginia.  He  urged 
upon  the  conference  the  right  of  those  preachers  who  thought 
themselves  injured  by  the  appointment  of  the  bishops,  to  ap- 
peal to  the  general  body,  then  in  session.  His  appeal  was  in 
vain.  Many  individuals  and  local  congregations,  either  in 
mass  or  in  part,  seceded  with  him.  Appealing  for  public 
favor  to  the  public  spirit  of  the  time,  they  for  a  few  years 
called  themselves  Republican  Methodists. 

At  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Dr.  Abner  Jones 
resided  at  Hartland,  Vermont.     He  was  a  regular  Baptist, 

20 


BEGINNINGS   IN   ILLINOIS  21 

but  he  was  especially  averse  to  human  creeds,  which  he  re- 
garded as  walls  separating  the  followers  of  our  Lord.  And 
sectarian  names  grieved  him  much.  In  those  years  when  a 
man  of  God  got  a  new  thought  he  was  compelled  to  get  a 
new  church  to  put  it  in.  So  Dr.  Jones  organized  a  church  at 
Lynden,  Vermont,  in  1802,  with  twenty-five  members,  and 
another  church  the  same  year  at  Hanover,  New  Hampshire, 
and  a  third  at  Pierpont,  New  Hampshire,  in  1803. 

About  that  time  Elias  Smith,  then  a  Baptist  minister,  was 
preaching  with  great  success  in  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire. 
He  fell  in  with  Abner  Jones,  and  soon  the  church  under  his 
care  was  led  to  adopt  the  principles  and  position  of  the 
Christians. 

Barton  W.  Stone,  a  learned  and  eloquent  minister,  with- 
drew from  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  1804,  and  became  very 
actively  identified  with  the  Christian  Denomination. 

Thus  there  arose  simultaneously  in  the  East,  South  and 
West  congregations  that  wished  to  be  known  simply  as 
Christians.  These  were  remote  from  one  another  and  with- 
out a  knowledge  of  one  another's  work.  They  urged  the  all- 
sufficiency  of  the  Scriptures  as  the  rule  of  faith  and  life,  the 
democracy  of  the  local  church.  Christian  character  as  the  test 
of  fellowship,  and  the  name  ''Christian"  to  the  exclusion  of 
all  denominational  names. 

Those  years  were  particularly  auspicious  for  the  proclama- 
tion of  such  Christian  truths.  Beginning  in  the  last  days  of 
the  eighteenth  century  with  the  Presbyterians  in  Tennessee 
and  Kentucky,  and  continuing  to  near  the  close  of  1801,  there 
was  a  most  extraordinary  revival  of  religion.  Caneridge, 
Kentucky,  was  its  center;  its  circumference  was  almost  the 
outer  bounds  of  the  nation.  Its  slogan  was,  "The  Bible  our 
rule  of  faith  and  practice."  Many  thousands  turned  to  the 
Lord.  Consecrated  lives  testified  to  the  genuineness  of  their 
conversion.  Its  impressions  were  deep  and  its  influences 
abiding. 

That  revival  was  the  John  the  Baptist  of  the  movement 
inaugurated  within  less  than  two  decades  thereafter  by  the 


22  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Disciples  of  Christ.  This  also  had  its  beginnings  in  various 
localities — East,  West  and  South.  It  came  neither  from  the 
Biblical  research  nor  thought  of  any  one  man.  It  was  not 
accidental,  but  providential.  Its  members  approached  the 
Bible  ''with  all  readiness  of  mind,  examining  the  Scriptures 
daily." 

It  is  believed  by  many  that  Alexander  Campbell  was  the 
founder  of  the  religious  body  known  as  the  Disciples  of 
Christ.  This  is  a  mistake,  and  the  abundant  and  incontestible 
facts  of  history  prove  it  to  be  such.  It  was  at  least  a  decade 
after  the  beginnings  of  this  movement  in  various  places  that 
Mr.  Campbell  became  the  champion  and  later  the  most  pow- 
erful advocate  of  those  principles  of  Christian  truth  which 
differentiate  the  Disciples  from  all  other  religious  bodies. 
This  last  fact  was  the  occasion  that  led  many  uninformed 
people  to  call  those  with  whom  Mr.  Campbell  found  himself 
to  be  in  full  accord  ''Campbellites."  But  this,  to  the  Disci- 
ples, has  always  been  an  offensive  nickname.  Now  it  is  no 
longer  in  use  except  in  some  back  precincts  where  the  trees 
grow  tall  and  the  brush  thick,  and  hence  the  light  of  intelli- 
gence is  slow  in  penetrating. 

William  Barney  came  into  what  is  now  Wabash  County, 
and  settled  about  eight  miles  north  of  the  site  of  Mount 
Carmel,  in  1808.  His  family  then  consisted  of  himself  and 
wife  and  the  following  children:  George,  William,  Richard, 
James,  Betsy,  Jane,  Sarah,  Clara  and  Ann.  Shortly  after- 
ward, Mr.  Barney's  three  sons-in-law,  with  their  wives  and 
children,  also  came.  It  is  plain  that  this  was  a  real  Roose- 
veltian  and  patriotic  family.  Other  settlers  followed.  Three 
forts  for  protection  against  the  Indians  in  the  locality  were 
built. 

Seth  Card  came  into  this  settlement  in  1813.  In  1814  he 
was  a  representative  in  the  third  Territorial  Legislature,  and 
in  1818  was  a  member  of  the  convention  that  framed  the  con- 
stitution for  the  State.  Evidently  Mr.  Card  was  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  that  section.  He,  with  Minister  James 
Pool  and  others,  on  the  17th  of  July,   1819,  organized  the 


BEGINNINGS   IN   ILLINOIS  23 

Barney's  Prairie  Christian  Church.  Seth  Card  was  elected 
elder  and  Joseph  Wood  deacon.  His  grandson,  O.  H.  Wood, 
now  residing  in  that  locality,  has  in  his  keeping  the  original 
book  containing  the  record  of  this  transaction.  He  is  now 
in  his  sixty-eighth  year,  has  been  a  member  of  the  congrega- 
tion for  over  fifty  years,  and  affirms  that  from  its  beginning 
the  Barney's  Prairie  Church  has  always  stood  on  apostolic 
ground.  This  congregation  has  had  an  unbroken  and  useful 
life  for  ninety-six  years.  Airs.  Eliza  Shoaff,  Goldengate, 
Illinois,  says  that  she  was  born  in  1844  two  miles  north  of  the 
Barney's  Prairie  Church ;  that  her  grandparents,  Job  and 
Abigail  Pixley,  came  to  this  locality  in  1817,  and  that  not  long 
afterwards  they  united  with  the  church.  Both  Mr.  O.  H. 
Wood  and  Mrs.  Shoaff  unite  in  affirming  the  unquestioned 
statements  of  their  parents  and  grandparents,  that  before 
1819  there  had  been  a  "New  Light"  church — as  they  there 
called  themselves — about  seven  miles  from  Barney's  Prairie, 
and  that  it  had  failed ;  and  further,  that  when  these  people 
met  on  July  17  they  decided  to  drop  the  name  "New  Light" 
and  form  a  Christian  church  simply,  which  they  did.  Beyond 
question,  in  point  of  time,  the  Barney's  Prairie  Church  leads 
all  the  Christian  congregations  in  Illinois. 

The  Coffee  Creek  Church  in  Wabash  County  was  the  sec- 
ond. The  original  record  reads :  "At  a  meeting  held  at 
Brother  Daniel  Keen's  on  Saturday  before  the  fifth  Sabbath 
in  August,  1819,  a  church  of  Christ  was  constituted,  consist- 
ing of  seven  members."  (See  Keensburg.)  The  testimony 
of  the  original  records,  the  history  of  Wabash  County  and 
the  memories  of  the  oldest  residents  of  the  community  unite 
in  affirming  that  from  the  first  this  was  simply  a  church  of 
Christ  and  has  always  continued  as  such. 

Stephen  England  settled  near  the  site  of  Cantrall,  Sanga- 
mon County,  in  1819.  He  ^^^as  a  native  of  Virginia,  but  grew 
to  manhood  in  Kentucky.  He  was  a  Baptist  preacher,  but 
was  acquainted  with  Barton  W.  Stone  before  coming  to  Illi- 
nois. Here  he  was  never  known  as  a  Baptist  minister. 
Shortly  after  settling  here  he  invited  the  people  to  come  to 


24  HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

his  cabin  for  public  worship.  That  the  people  were  soul- 
hungry  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  two  women  walked  two 
miles  to  the  meeting  through  prairie  grass  as  high  as  their 
heads.  On  May  15,  1820,  he  constituted  in  his  own  house 
the  first  church  of  Christ  in  this  county.  In  all  there  were 
nine  members  whose  names  have  come  down  to  us.  From 
that  date  to  this  it  has  always  been  known  as  the  church  of 
Christ,  or  Antioch  Christian  Church.  When  the  village  of 
Cantrall  was  laid  out  in  the  sixties,  the  place  of  meeting  was 
moved  there  and  the  local  designation  was  changed  from 
Antioch  to  Cantrall. 

In  the  fall  of  1826  the  Little  Grove  Church  of  Christ, 
located  six  miles  east  of  Paris,  was  constituted  by  Minister 
Samuel  McGee.  Two  sisters,  Mrs.  Mary  Morrison  and  Mrs. 
Anna  Fitzgerald,  who  had  come  from  Kentucky,  were  the 
leaders  in  the  formation  of  this  congregation.  From  the  first 
it  was  called  "The  Little  Grove  Church  of  Christ." 

MULKEYTOWN. 

Mr.  T.  K.  Means  was  born  in  Tennessee  in  April,  1831, 
and  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Franklin  County,  Illinois, 
in  1834.  He  is  still  living  at  Mulkeytown.  His  mind  is  vig- 
orous and  his  thought  clear.     He  says: 

The  first  settlers  of  this  part  of  the  country  called  themselves 
Baptists  and  met  at  the  house  of  John  Kirkpatrick,  who  settled  here 
in  1818.  But  these  people  had  been  baptized  in  Kentucky  and  Ten- 
nessee by  John  Mulkey  and  his  brother  Philip,  who  were  Baptist 
preachers,  but  went  into  the  Reformation  with  B.  W.  Stone  early 
in  the  last  century.  It  is  a  fact  that  John  Mulkey  was  tried  for 
heresy  in  1809  in  Kentucky.  No  one  now  knows  when  these  people 
left  off  the  name  "Baptist"  and  adopted  the  name  "Christian,"  for  there 
was  no  Baptist  church  and  people  who  held  to  the  usages  of  that 
church  in  this  whole  settlement. 

I  have  been  told  that  the  first  man  that  preached  the  primitive 
gospel  here  was  by  the  name  of  Underwood.  The  first  preacher  I 
ever  heard  was  Elijah  Spiller,  who  was  an  old  man  at  that  time  and 
had  lived  here  many  years.  But  the  man  who  did  most  of  the  preach- 
ing was  by  the  name  of  Silas  Reid,  who  came  to  the  county  in  1832. 
Afterward  there  came  other  preachers,  of  whom  I  can  name  Wm. 


BEGINNINGS   IN  ILLINOIS  25 

Bristow,  John  Hayes,  Ulysses  Heap,  Wm.   Chance  and  then  a  host 
of  others. 

I  once  heard  D.  C  Mulkey  say  that  when  he  came  to  Illinois  in 
1832,  his  elder  brothers,  John  M,  and  Jonathan  H.  Mulkey,  were  then 
living  here  and  that  they  were  devoted  church-members  at  that  time. 
Then  we  must  infer  there  was  a  church  organization  at  that  time. 

From  this  testimony  of  Mr.  Means  and  the  lucid  preach- 
ing of  the  pure  gospel  by  John  Mulkey,  Sr.,  reinforced  as 
he  was  by  the  splendid  ministry  of  Barton  W.  Stone,  the 
writer  concludes  that  the  beginning  of  the  Mulkeytown 
Church  of  Christ  may  be  fairly  placed  near  the  middle  of  the 
twenties. 

THE    SPRING    CREEK     ( MT.    ZION)     BERLIN    CHURCH. 

In  1818  Andrew  Scott  came  from  Crawford  County,  Indi- 
ana, and  located  near  Richland,  in  Cartwright  Township, 
Sangamon  County.  He  was  a  minister  whose  aim  was  to 
teach  and  preach  the  true  faith  and  the  pure  gospel.  He  at 
once  began  to  hold  meetings  in  the  log  cabins  of  the  pioneers. 
In  1824  he  settled  near  Island  Grove — the  woods  skirting 
Spring  Creek — a  mile  or  two  northwest  of  the  site  of  old 
Berlin.  There  he  met  Theophilus  Sweet,  a  Baptist  preacher 
ot  the  old  school.  It  was  not  long  until  Mr.  Sweet  was  in 
accord  with  Mr.  Scott  in  his  Christian  faith  and  preaching. 
Their  united  labors  soon  developed  a  Christian  Church  on 
Spring  Creek  that  met  for  worship  in  the  log  schoolhouse. 
It  was  doubtless  organized  there.  Much  as  we  admire  those 
brave  pioneers  whose  voices  rang  true  to  the  word  of  God, 
still  we  are  reminded  that  they  were  fallible.  In  a  time  after 
the  beginning  of  this  church,  one  of  its  members,  named 
William  Grant,  accused  Preacher  Andrew  Scott  in  plain 
speech  ot  lying.  Of  his  defense  the  subjoined  documents 
have  come  down  to  us : 

Tazwell  County,  Illinois,  June  30th,  1830. — We  whose  names  are 
undersigned,  having  been  formerly  members  of  the  church  at  Spring 
Creek  in  Sangamon  County,  by  permission  of  the  church  in  the  big 
grove    on    Kickapoo,    do    send   to   the   churches    and   all    whom    the 


26  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

presents  may  concern,  that  Brother  Andrew  Scott  was  and  is  a  min- 
ister in  good  standing  among  us.     Signed: 

Isaac  Carlock,  James  R.  Scott, 
Samuel  P.  Glenn,        Levin  a  Martin, 

Ruth  B.  Glen,  John  P.  Glen, 

Daniel  Vincent,  Nancy  Glen. 
Ann  Vincent, 

I,  John  Glen,  a  member  of  the  church  of  Christ  at  Big  Grove, 
Kickapoo,  do  hereby  certify  that  I  have  known  Andrew  Scott  for 
forty  years,  and  that  I  ever  did  consider  him  a  man  of  truth  and 
strictly  honest. 

Given  under  my  hand  this  10th  day  of  June,  1830. 

Signed:  John  Glen. 

The  genuineness  of  these  documents  is  attested  by  the 
following : 

I,  M.  B.  Robertson,  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  and  for  Sangamon 
County,  Illinois,  do  hereby  certify  that  the  above  are  accurate  copies 
of  letters  of  commendation  received  by  Andrew  Scott,  from  the  above 
parties. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  this  15th  day  of  October,  1913. 

M.  B.  Robertson, 

Berlin,  Illinois,  Oct.  15,  1913.  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

From  these  statements  it  is  clear  that  there  was  a  church 
of  Christ  in  Big  Grove,  on  the  Kickapoo,  in  1830.  Nine 
members  of  this  church  had  previously  been  members  of  the 
Spring  Creek  congregation.  The  latter  was  formed  previous 
to  this  time,  probably  near  1825,  the  year  after  Messrs.  Scott 
and  Sweet  began  to  work  together. 

Those  who  are  curious  will  be  interested  in  the  following. 
On  the  reverse  side  of  the  sheet  of  paper  containing  the  above 
testimonials  this  certificate  is  written: 

This  is  to  sertify  that  I  was  at  the  meten  on  Spring  Creek  for 
the  perpes  of  setlen  of  Deficelty  betwen  Brother  Scott  and  Brother 
Grant  he  charges  Brother  Scott  ot  lying  But  DiD  not  prov  it  it  was 
not  setled  to  the  satisfaction  of  Brother  Scott  But  was  left  to  ware  out. 

Jesse  Wilson. 

The  church  of  Christ  in  Big  Grove,  on  Kickapoo,  was 
short-lived,  or  soon  met  in  another  place  under  another  name. 


BEGINNINGS   IN   ILLINOIS  27 

None  of  the  historians  mention  it,  nor  is  there  a  tradition  of 
it  in  the  memories  of  octogenarians. 

Ebenezer  Rhodes  was  born  in  Holland  in  1780.  He  came 
to  America,  and  in  1824  to  McLean  County,  settling  in 
Blooming  Grove,  five  miles  south  of  Bloomington.  He  was 
a  Baptist  preacher  and  married  the  first  couple  in  that 
county.  Reuben  Carlock  was  a  native  of  Overton  County, 
Tennessee.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  October,  1827,  and  settled 
in  Dry  Grove,  five  miles  southwest  of  the  site  of  the  present 
town  of  Carlock.  Minister  William  Brown,  a  Christian  min- 
ister, came  to  visit  his  friend,  Reuben  Carlock,  in  1828.  In 
August  of  that  year,  Mr.  Carlock  yoked  his  ox-team  to  his 
wagon,  and,  accompanied  by  some  members  of  his  family 
and  his  guest,  Preacher  Brown,  drove  to  the  cabin  of  Eben- 
ezer Rhodes  for  a  three-days'  meeting.  Then  and  there  a 
little  church  was  constituted.  Thereupon  the  recognized 
leader,  Ebenezer  Rhodes,  said :  "And  now,  brethren,  we  must 
have  some  articles  of  faith."  Then  Reuben  Carlock,  drawing 
a  small  copy  of  the  New  Testament  from  his  pocket  and 
holding  it  up,  said :  "Brother  Rhodes,  this  book  has  all  the 
articles  of  faith  we  need."  Mr.  Rhodes  at  once  and  in  full 
assurance  answered :  "That  is  true."  Thereafter  he  was 
known  as  a  Christian  minister  and  continued  to  preach  the 
gospel  without  the  mixture  of  human  traditions  until  his 
death  in  1842.  That  little  congregation  was  simply  a  church 
of  Christ. 

In  1815  "Christian  Settlement"  was  founded  in  Lawrence 
County,  seven  miles  northwest  of  Vincennes,  Indiana.  It  was 
made  up  of  members  of  the  Christian  Denomination.  For 
ninety-eight  years  that  country  community  has  been  remark- 
able for  its  industry,  sobriety,  thrift  and  hio^h  ideals.  In  1828 
the  church  there  came  fully  to  apostolic  erounds. 

The  first  sermon  ever  preached  in  Hittle's  Grove,  near 
what  became  the  town  site  of  Armington,  was  by  a  Method- 
ist minister  named  Walker,  but  he  did  not  form  a  class. 
This  and  other  public  meetings  for  worship  were  held  in  the 
log  cabin  of  Michael   Hittle.      After    a    time    two    women 


28  HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

wished  to  be  baptized,  and  a  Baptist  minister,  probably 
Ebenezer  Rhodes,  was  sent  for.  Finding  no  church  there  to 
vote  on  the  fitness  of  the  candidates,  after  dehberation  it  was 
decided  to  immerse  them  on  the  pubhc  confession  of  their 
faith  in  Christ.  Thereupon  a  Baptist  church  was  constituted 
with  seven  members.  On  January  11,  1829,  this  congregation 
was  reorganized  on  the  following  basis:  **We,  the  under- 
signed, do  give  ourselves  to  the  Lord  and  to  each  other  as  a 
church  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  be  governed  by  his  word  contained 
in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments."  This  church  has  had  an 
unbroken  life  to  the  present  time.  This  agreement  to  consti- 
tute a  church  of  Christ  was  signed  by  seventeen  persons. 

In  1829  a  church  was  constituted  in  the  southern  part  of 
Marion  County.  It  was  known  as  the  Mount  Moriah  Free 
Will  Baptist  Church.  In  1837  its  members  dropped  the  words 
"Free  Will  Baptist"  and  substituted  for  them  ''Christian," 
and  since  then,  to  this  date,  it  has  been  known  as  'The  Mount 
Moriah  Christian  Church." 

From  an  old,  original  record-book  the  following  is  taken: 

April  30,  1831,  the  church  of  Christ  on  Cedar  Fork  of  Henderson 
River,  Warren  County,  was  constituted  upon  the  beilief  that  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  are  the  Word  of  God, 
and  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  and  are  sufficient  for  the 
government  of  the  Church. 

The  location  was  one  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  the 
present  town  of  Cameron.  This  was  probably  the  first  church 
of  Christ  in  the  Military  Tract.  Some  of  its  families  became 
representatives  in  that  part  of  the  State  and  elsewhere. 

The  second  Sunday  in  July,  1831,  Minister  John  B.  Curl 
constituted  the  "Bear  Creek"  Church  in  Adams  County,  and 
also  the  "Mill  Creek"  Church  in  the  same  county  before  the 
close  of  the  year.  Mr.  Curl  labored  diligently  through  all 
that  section  of  the  State,  and  three  or  four  other  congrega- 
tions were  formed  about  the  same  time. 

Bushrod  W.  Henry  was  a  native  of  Culpeper  County, 
Virs^inia.  He  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in  Shelbyville  in 
1830.     He  was  then  twenty-five  years  of  age.     He  was  a 


BEGINNINGS   IN   ILLINOIS  29 

Baptist  preacher  and  man  of  superior  mental  endowments 
and  magnificent  personality.  In  July,  1831,  he  constituted 
the  'Tirst  Baptist  Church  of  Christ  in  Shelbyville."  Within 
one  year  he  was  preaching  clearly  those  Biblical  truths  com- 
monly held  and  taught  by  the  Disciples.  In  1834  Mr.  Henry, 
with  those  of  like  views  with  him,  were  summarily  expelled 
from  the  Baptist  Church.  Then  the  congregation  in  Shelby- 
ville  dropped  the  name  ''Baptist"  and  has  since  then  been 
known  as  the  ''Church  of  Christ."  Mr.  Henry  has  two  sons 
living — Judge  W.  B.  Henry,  of  Vandalia,  and  Minister  J.  O. 
Henry,  of  Findley.  The  latter  is  eighty-six  years  old.  He 
was  a  comrade  of  Richard  J.  Oglesby  in  the  Fourth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry  during  the  Mexican  war.  Ever  after- 
ward they  were  fast  friends  until  "Uncle  Dick"  passed  over 
the  great  divide.  Mr.  Henry  clearly  and  positively  affirms 
that  his  father  was  not  assisted  by  any  one  except  his  wife 
in  reaching  his  conclusions  on  the  teachings  of  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  that  together  they,  husband  and  wife,  reverently  and 
faithfully  read  themselves  out  of  spiritual  Babylon. 

By  1832  there  began  to  be  some  general  unity  of  thought 
and  action  among  the  widely  separated  Disciples  in  their 
efforts  to  restore  the  church  after  the  New  Testament  pat- 
tern— in  its  teachings,  its  ordinances  and  its  life ;  so  in  this 
year  a  number  of  local  churches  had  their  beginnings.  Most 
of  them  still  live  and  have  been  forceful  factors  in  building 
society. 

The  church  in  Jacksonville  had  its  beginning  in  that  year. 
Several  Christian  families  came  to  Morgan  County  from 
Kentucky  in  1830  and  1831.  Fourteen  families  of  Disciples, 
then  called  Reformers  by  many,  met  together  regularly  that 
winter  for  public  worship.  In  the  summer  of  1831  Josephus 
Iliett  settled  five  miles  east  of  Jacksonville.  He  was  the  first 
regular  preacher  of  the  Disciples  in  that  section. 

James  Green  and  ttarrison  W.  Osborn,  of  the  Christian 
Denomination,  were  in  that  locality  at  that  time.  They 
preached  in  the  courthouse  and  in  schoolhouses  as  they  had 
opportunity.    In  1832  there  were  good-sized  nuclei  of  Disci- 


30  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

pies  and  members  of  the  Christian  Denomination  in  and 
around  Jacksonville.  It  was  in  this  year  that  the  scholarly 
and  pious  Barton  W.  Stone  came  from  Kentucky  into  the 
"Far  West,"  as  Illinois  was  then  called.  The  reputation  of 
this  good  man  had  preceded  him,  for  he  was  an  active  factor 
in  the  Caneridge  revival  in  1800,  whose  influences  and  glory 
came  to  be  more  enduring  than  the  stars.  Mr.  Stone  made  a 
tour  through  the  Prairie  State,  preaching  at  Lawrenceville, 
Carrollton,  Rushville,  Springfield,  Jacksonville  and  other 
places.  He  believed  in  and  labored  for  the  union  of  all  God's 
people.  At  Jacksonville  he  laid  his  strong  but  tender  hand 
upon  the  two  separated  bodies  and  left  them  united  in  one. 
This  was  in  October,  1832. 

A  similar  result  was  effected  at  Carrollton  a  few  days 
later. 

It  may  be  properly  noted  here  that  the  Disciples  of 
Christ  absorbed  the  larger  part  of  the  Christian  Denomina- 
tion, not  only  in  Illinois,  but  elsewhere.  However,  the  latter 
body  still  lives.  The  appeal  of  both  parties  was  to  the  Bible 
as  the  only  recognized  authority  in  religion,  and  in  this  way 
many  of  the  latter  concluded  that  the  Disciples  were  nearer 
the  divine  standard  than  themselves. 

The  church  at  Winchester  was  formed  December  1,  1832. 
The  old  Union  Church,  located  about  ten  miles  west  of  Clin- 
ton, was  constituted  October  13  (the  second  Sunday),  1832. 
It  was  formed  with  seventeen  charter  members,  under  the 
spreading  branches  of  a  large  white-oak  tree,  whose  decay- 
ing stump  marks  the  spot.  This  and  the  gravestones  in  the 
cemetery  that  grew  around  the  house  of  worship,  are  silent 
sentinels  of  faded  joys  and  departed  glory.  Hughes  Bowles 
was  the  leader  there.  He  was  a  product  of  the  Caneridge 
(Ky.)  revival,  as  were  those  associated  with  him  in  this  be- 
ginning. His  son,  Walter  P.  Bowles,  became  the  best  known 
and  most  powerful  preacher  of  his  time  in  that  section.  He 
and  Abraham  Lincoln  were  familiar  friends,  and  long  before 
the  immortal  emancipator  dreamed  of  place  and  fame,  he 
said  to  Mr.  Bowles:  ''Wat,  if  I  could    preach    like   you,    I 


BEGINNINGS    IN    ILLINOIS  31 

would  rather  do  that  than  be  President."  The  old  Union 
Church  served  its  community  and  generation  for  just  fifty 
years  to  a  day,  and  then,  railroads  coming  and  towns  grow- 
ing, it  fell  into  sleep. 

Joseph  Ilostetler  was  a  great,  strong  man  in  his  time.  In 
his  youth  he  became  a  member  of  the  Tunker  Church  and 
soon  thereafter  a  preacher.  With  little  help,  his  own  study 
of  the  Bible  led  him  to  the  common  basic  principles  of  the 
gospel.  He  came  from  Indiana  to  Illinois  in  1832,  and  in  No- 
vember of  that  year  organized  the  West  Okaw  Church  of 
Christ.  It  was  located  about  two  miles  west  of  the  site  of 
Lovington,  and  became  the  mother  of  a  number  of  congre- 
gations of  like  faith  in  that  section.  West  Okaw  still  lives 
and  flourishes  in  the  Lovington  Church. 

In  the  early  thirties  a  number  of  families  came  from 
Christian  County,  Kentucky,  to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Walnut 
Grove,  now  known  as  Eureka.  In  April,  1832,  thirteen  Dis- 
ciples met  in  the  log  residence  of  John  Oatman,  that  stood 
about  one-half  mile  northeast  of  the  railroad  station  now 
tl'iere,  and  organized  a  church.  Since  that  time  it  has  been 
known  as  the  Christian  Church  (or  church  of  Christ)  at 
Eureka,  and  has  been  one  of  the  most  forceful  agencies  in 
the  entire  State  for  truth  and  righteousness. 

In  1833  churches  of  Christ  were  organized  at  Springfield, 
Lawrenceville,  Decatur,  Ursa,  Little  Mackinaw,  ten  miles 
south  of  Mackinaw  town,  and  elsewhere. 

The  Mount  Pleasant  Church,  Hancock  County,  was  or- 
ganized in  1834,  and  made  a  remarkable  record  through 
eighty  years.  Mrs.  Georgenia  Walton  has  been  a  member  of 
this  congregation  for  fifty-five  years.  She  is  a  woman  of 
rare  intelligence  and  spirit.  Speaking  of  the  early  years,  she 
says :  "We  were  Campbellites  in  those  days.  A  boy  in  the 
M.  E.  Sunday  School  was  repeating  the  names  of  the  tribes 
in  Canaan  when  Joshua  led  the  Israelites  into  it.  This  boy 
said  there  were  Canaanites,  Amorites,  Jebusites  and  Camp- 
bellites." 

This  church  also  produced  that  great  soul,  Dr.  William 


Z2  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

Booz.  In  the  early  sixties  he  sent  a  communication  to  the 
Carthage  Republican  over  the  pseudonym  ''Country  Jake." 
The  editor  was  so  much  impressed  with  its  pungent  character 
that  he  encouraged  him  to  send  weekly  contributions.  Thus 
zvas  born,  of  these  two  fertile  minds,  provincial  journalism 
in  Illinois. 

This  is  less  than  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  beginnings  of 
the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  Illinois.  Across  the  central  and 
through  most  of  the  southern  part  of  the  State  they  continued 
to  grow.  Every  inch  of  ground  they  occupy  to-day  has  been 
won  by  battle.  They  met  opposition,  often  bitter,  always  de- 
termined, from  the  older  religious  bodies.  Where  they  are 
now  strong 'in  numbers,  intelligent  and  wealthy  and  particu- 
larly "respectable,"  they  are  quickly  and  cheerfully  recognized 
as  ''orthodox"  and  welcomed  to  the  "sisterhood  of  the 
churches."  Without  doubt,  with  the  changing  times  they 
have  all  changed  with  them,  and,  by  divine  grace,  for  the 
better. 


CHAPTER  III. 
CHRISTIAN    EDUCATION. 

From  the  first  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  Illinois  have  been 
earnest  advocates  of  mental  culture.  In  the  early  decades 
many  of  the  leaders  were  well-educated  men.  In  the  fifties 
and  sixties  the  question  of  establishing  academies  for  work 
supplementing  that  of  the  public  schools  was  considered  in 
the  annual  State  meetings.  A  few  such  schools  were  started 
m  addition  to  the  colleges  organized.  But  the  Civil  War 
closed  all  of  these,  and  within  five  years  thereafter  the  State 
high  schools  were  begun.  But  it  is  a  painful  and  serious  fact 
that  the  Disciples  in  Illinois  for  the  last  twenty-five  years 
have  failed  to  keep  step  with  the  great  educational  column  in 
the  State. 

It  is  a  significant  fact  that  the  Disciples  were  the  leaders 
of  coeducation  in  Illinois.  Oberlin  College,  Ohio,  was  formed 
in  1833,  and  from  its  beginning  trained  young  people  of  both 
sexes.  So  did  Antioch  College,  at  Yellow  Springs,  Ohio,  of 
which  Horace  Mann  was  the  head.  In  Illinois,  Shurtleff 
College  was  founded  as  Rock  Springs  Seminary  in  1827,  and 
removed  to  its  present  location  in  1831-32.  Young  women 
were  first  officially  admitted  to  this  institution  in  1871.  Knox 
College  was  founded  in  1837.  It  had  a  female  collegiate  de- 
partment from  1849,  but  it  was  not  ''till  the  early  seventies 
that  the  same  courses  were  thrown  open  to  women  as  to 
men."  The  school  founded  at  Eureka  in  1848  and  that  at 
Abingdon  in  1853  were  both  coeducational  from  their  begin- 
nings. So  also  were  the  other  schools  of  the  Disciples  in 
Illinois. 

In  1900  there  were  345  colleges  and  universities  in  the 
United  States.     Of  these,  204  are  coeducational.     It  is  the 

2  33 


34  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

prevailing  system  in  the  West.     Of  the  twenty-eight  colleges 
in  Illinois,  twenty-six  are  open  to  women. 

The  Disciples  have  also  insisted  that  education  should  be 
affirmatively  Christian ;  hence  the  Bible  has  a  fixed  place  in 
the  curriculums  of  their  schools. 

EUREKA  COLLEGE. 

Eureka  College  was  a  child  of  Providence.  Its  founders 
were  men  who  walked  with  God.  Central  Illinois,  into  which 
the  first  white  settlers  came,  was  a  land  of  entrancing  beauty. 
The  wide  prairies,  with  grassy  billows,  reached  out  until,  to 
the  human  eye,  they  touched  the  horizon.  The  streams  of 
water  were  skirted  with  trees,  only  a  part  of  which  had 
grown  to  stately  size.  Charming  wild  birds  and  graceful  wild 
beasts  abounded  everywhere,  untamed  and  untouched  save  by 
the  red  men.  The  first  immigrants  made  their  homes  among 
the  groves.  The  timber  was  needed  to  build  their  cabins, 
make  their  fires  and  fence  their  farms.  The  settlements  were 
known  by  the  names  of  the  groves  to  which  the  first  pioneers 
gave  names.  That  one  along  the  west  line  of  McLean 
County  and  the  east  line  of  Tazewell,  which  in  1841  became 
Woodford  County,  was  called  Walnut  Grove,  because  those 
trees,  indicating  a  rich  soil,  grew  there  abundantly.  Into  this 
place,  in  the  thirties,  a  number  of  families  came  from  south- 
ern Kentucky.  Among  them  there  were  Ben  Major  and  Wil- 
liam Davenport,  who  were  double  brothers-in-law;  Elijah 
Dickinson,  Sr. ;  B.  J.  Radford,  Sr. ;  William  P.  Atterberry, 
R.  M.  Clark,  E.  B.  Myers,  A.  M.  Myers,  Caleb  Davidson,  M. 
R.  Bullock  and  Thomas  Bullock.  Other  influential  men,  as 
John  Darst  and  A.  G.  Ewing,  came  later.  The  families  of 
the  first  settlers  were  generally  large  and  growing. 

The  schools  for  the  instruction  and  training  of  children  in 
that  period  were  of  the  subscription  class,  and  were  often 
*'kept"  by  impecunious  and  peripatetic  pedagogues.  While 
the  pioneers  were  engaged  in  subduing  their  part  of  the  earth, 
thus  helping  to  lay  the  foundations  of  a  mighty  material  em- 
pire, they  were  even  more  concerned  about  the  mental  and 


CHRISTIAN  EDUCATION  35 

moral  training  of  their  children.  They  felt  keenly  the  in- 
adequacy of  the  ordinary  facilities.  In  the  fall  of  1847  John 
T.  Jones,  an  active  and  well-known  minister  among  the  Dis- 
ciples in  Central  Illinois,  opened  at  Walnut  Grove  a  select 
school  for  the  education  of  girls,  on  a  spot  near  the  present 
site  of  Eureka  College.  In  the  following  winter  a  malignant 
type  of  measles  became  epidemic  in  the  community  and  broke 
up  this  school. 

In  the  summer  of  1848  Mr.  A.  S.  Fisher,  a  student  from 
Bethany  College,  came  to  Walnut  Grove.  He  was  engaged 
by  a  number  of  the  leading  men  of  the  community  to  conduct 
a  school  for  a  period  of  ten  months.  This  school  opened  in 
a  small  frame  building  on  September  10.  The  curriculum 
included  the  common  English  branches,  with  higher  mathe- 
matics, natural  philosophy,  rhetoric,  logic,  etc.  Evidently  Mr. 
Fisher  intended  to  earn  his  pay.  The  work  of  this  school 
was  suspended  during  a  "big  meeting"  that  was  conducted 
by  Mr.  D.  P.  Henderson,  an  eminent  evangelist  of  Jackson- 
ville, IlHnois.  This  meeting  continued  through  "many  days," 
and  added  about  one  hundred  persons  to  the  Walnut  Grove 
Church  of  Christ.  At  its  close  the  work  of  the  school  was 
resumed  and  continued  until  the  following  Fourth  of  July. 
As  the  school  was  successful,  Mr.  Ben  Major  and  his  co- 
adjutors arranged  with  the  young  teacher  for  its  continuance. 
Mr.  Fisher  submitted  the  following  conditions,  which  were 
accepted  by  the  patrons :  First,  that  an  addition,  properly  fur- 
nished, be  made  to  the  schoolhouse;  second,  that  he  be  per- 
mitted to  employ  an  assistant  teacher  for  the  primary  pupils ; 
third,  that  he  be  allowed  the  net  income  from  tuition  fees  for 
his  salary ;  fourth,  that  adequate  provision  be  made  for  board- 
ing all  students  who  came  from  other  localities.  At  this  time 
a  printed  announcement  of  the  school  was  circulated  under 
the  name  of 

WALNUT  GROVE  SEMINARY. 

Miss  Sue  E.  Jones,  a  daughter  of  John  T.  Jones  and  a 
graduate,    was    secured   as    assistant    teacher.      The    school 


36  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Opened  with  such  an  encouraging  outlook  and  growing  attend- 
ance that  the  need  of  a  larger  building  than  the  one  enlarged 
was  obvious.  Hence  the  promoters  of  the  school  met  in  the 
autumn  of  1849  and  decided  to  erect  a  two-story  brick  build- 
ing to  cost  not  less  than  $2,500.  Ben  Major  led  in  this  en- 
terprise. In  December  of  that  year  this  building  was  first 
occupied,  and  the  school  was  incorporated  as 

WALNUT  GROVE  ACADEMY. 

Its  management  was  vested  in  twelve  trustees.  Of  this 
board,  John  T.  Jones  was  president  and  A.  S.  Fisher  secre- 
tary. In  September,  1850,  John  Lindsay,  a  graduate  of 
Bethany  College  and  a  young  minister,  was  added  to  the 
academy  as  teacher  of  Latin  and  Greek.  The  first  philosoph- 
ical and  chemical  apparatus  was  secured  in  1851.  In  the 
same  year,  to  the  "State  Meeting,"  which  assembled  with 
the  Walnut  Grove  Church,  the  trustees  of  the  academy  ex- 
plained that  they  were  endeavoring  to  establish  an  institution 
of  learning  where  the  young  people  of  both  sexes  might  re- 
ceive the  advantages  of  a  liberal  education  under  the  care  and 
influence  of  Christian  teachers  and  free  from  all  sectarian 
prejudices.  They  hoped  the  school  would  serve  the  Disciples 
generally  throuo-hout  the  State. 

The  year  1852  was  a  remarkable  one  in  Walnut  Grove. 
The  school  was  abruptly  closed  one  month  before  the  time  by 
a  scourge  of  Asiatic  cholera  which  swept  through  the  com- 
munity. Its  chief  victim  was  Ben  Major,  the  founder  of  the 
school.  His  was  a  superior  combination  of  head  and  heart. 
The  best  blood  of  the  Huguenots  and  of  Virginians  filled 
his  veins.  A  native  of  Kentucky  and  an  owner  of  slaves,  from 
early  youth  he  had  serious  doubts  on  the  question  of  human 
slavery.  By  the  light  of  divine  truth  he  reached  his  own 
purpose  and  matured  his  own  plans.  These  were  at  variance 
with  all  his  early  teachings  and  antagonistic  to  all  his  family 
traditions  and  social  relations.  Having  freed  his  slaves  in 
the  fall  of  1835,  he  sent  an  agent  with  them  to  New  York 
and  shipped  them  to  Liberia.     In  1834,  with  his  family  of 


CHRISTIAN    EDUCATION  Zl 

seven,  he  moved  from  Kentucky  to  Illinois  in  an  ox-wagon. 
Through  a  period  of  eighteen  years  he  served  the  new  set- 
tlement at  Walnut  Grove  as  counselor,  physician,  friend  and 
genuine  leader. 

A.  S.  Fisher  justly  shares  the  honor  of  founding  this 
school.  Of  him  Professor  Radford  has  given  this  admirable 
pen-picture : 

He  seemed  not  to  us  as  a  man  of  like  passions  with  the  rest. 
Frivolity  was  a  stranger  to  him,  and  that  he  should  make  a  mistake  was 
out  of  the  question.  Grand  and  peculiar,  he  might  have  sat  upon  his 
pedagogical  thronej.  a  sceptered  hermit,  but,  much  to  our  wonder,  he 
went  about  the  hard  drudgery  of  pioneer  school  work  with  a  con- 
stancy, a  punctuality  and  devotion  to  duty  which  was  in  itself  a 
profitable  part  of  our  course  of  instruction.  Professor  Neville  used 
to  call  him  'an  arithmetic  in  breeches.'  but  this  was  evidently,  to  use 
an  arithmetical  expression,  reducing  him  to  his  lowest  terms.  He  was 
accuracy  incarnate.  He  impressed  the  ambitious  student  with  the  idea 
that  inaccuracy  was  immoral,  and  that  to  make  a  mistake  was  unpar- 
donable. With  infinite  pains  and  patient  repetition,  he  would  lead 
even  the  dullest  student  to  understand  what  had  seemed  to  him  hope- 
lessly incomprehensible.  The  lesson  of  the  hour  had  the  floor,  and 
nothing  else  was  to  be  recognized  but  a  point  of  order,  and  he  made 
a  point  of  order  all  the  time.  In  the  years  of  his  classroom  ministry 
he  inculcated  upon  thousands  of  youths  such  lessons  of  accuracy,  indus- 
try and  attention  to  the  matter  in  hand  as  have  in  no  small  measure 
contributed  to  their  success  in  life. 

After  thirty-eight  years  of  uninterrupted  and  self-sacri- 
ficing service,  he  left  the  college  in  1885  and  moved  to  Kan- 
sas City,  Missouri.     There  he  died  in  1903. 

The  ''State  Meeting"  that  convened  with  the  church  at 
Abingdon  in  1852  indorsed  the  movement  to  build  up  an  in- 
stitution of  learning  at  Walnut  Grove  for  the  education  of 
their  sons  and  daughters  and  to  fit  young  men  for  the  Chris- 
tian ministry.  There  were  students  then  at  the  school  from 
more  than  twenty  localities  in  Hlinois  and  also  from  Indiana 
and  Missouri.  The  same  "State  Meeting"  also  formed  a 
Board  of  Education  consisting  of  Ministers  William  Daven- 
port, John  Lindsay,  George  W.  Minier,  Jonathan  Atkinson, 
A.  J.  Kane  and  Prof.  A.  S.  Fisher,  the  purpose  of  which 


38  HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

board  was  to  consider  and  report  ways  and  means  of  estab- 
lishing academies  in  various  parts  of  the  State  under  the  ex- 
clusive management  of  the  Disciples  in  Illinois. 

In  1852  the  first  post-office  was  established  in  Walnut 
Grove.  Before  that  the  nearest  office  was  at  Washington, 
eight  miles  west.  Mr.  Fisher  was  made  the  first  postmaster. 
Everything  was  on  the  general-delivery  plan.  To  add  to  the 
burdens  of  the  patient  professor,  many  letters  at  that  time 
were  sent  C.  O.  D.,  the  postage  on  them  being  paid  by  the 
receivers. 

John  H.  Neville,  a  graduate  of  Bethany  College,  suc- 
ceeded John  Lindsay  as  teacher  in  the  fall  of  1852.  One  year 
thereafter  the  academy  began  its  work  with  the  following 
teachers:  A.  S.  Fisher,  J.  H.  Neville,  Mrs.  Sarah  Fisher,  wife 
of  the  principal,  and  Miss  Elmira  J.  Dickinson. 

The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Disciples  at  Jacksonville  in 
September,  1853,  received  the  report  from  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation, It  was  distinctly  significant  in  three  particulars: 
First,  coeducational — "that  the  brethren  may  endow  their 
sons  and  daughters  with  a  liberal  education ;"  second,  that  all 
education  should  be  Christian — "the  Bible  should  have  a  con- 
spicuous place  in  the  daily  exercises  of  every  school.  Having 
been  prepared  by  the  Author  of  the  human  mind,  it  is 
superior  to  all  human  productions  in  developing  morality 
among  any  people;"  third,  an  educated  ministry — "that  only 
an  educated  mind  is  competent  to  disengage  the  simple  facts 
of  Christianity  from  the  many  false  dogmas  with  which  they 
have  become  entangled  through  many  centuries  of  false 
teachings  and  interpretations.  Brethren,  shall  we  have  such 
schools  among  us  and  under  our  control?"  These  affirma- 
tions reflected  fully  the  views  of  the  Disciples  in  Illinois  at 
that  time.  However,  the  Jacksonville  meeting  did  not  adopt 
the  report.  Other  communities  than  Walnut  Grove  were  am- 
bitious to  establish  such  schools.  The  assembly  decided  to 
confine  its  activities  exclusively  to  the  direct  work  of  evan- 
gelizing. Notwithstanding,  the  meeting  voted  in  favor  of 
raising  $10,000  to  endow  a  chair  in  Bethany  College.     Of 


CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION  39 

this  sum,  the  people  of  Walnut  Grove  raised  and  paid 
$2,225. 

The  academy  grew  in  attendance  so  that  a  boarding-hall 
sufficient  for  the  accommodation  of  fifty  students  was  com- 
pleted in  the  summer  of  1854.  Its  cost  was  mainly  met  by 
citizens  of  the  community.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  M.  Clark,  who 
were  admirable  Christians,  were  placed  in  charge.  The  hall 
became  a  pleasant  home  for  many  occupants  in  the  years  fol- 
lowing. 

A  music  department  was  introduced  with  the  session  be- 
ginning in  September,  1855.  Miss  Ellen  F.  True,  of  Mt. 
Vernon,  Ohio,  was  the  first  teacher.  A  one-room  frame 
building  was  erected  just  across  the  street  from  the  academy 
for  the  use  of  this  department.  When  not  in  use  by  music 
pupils  it  was  occupied  by  other  classes. 

For  reasons  about  which  annalists  are  silent,  the  people 
of  Walnut  Grove  desired  to  change  the  name  of  their  village 
and  post-office ;  so  a  committee  of  three  was  appointed  near 
the  close  of  1854 — probably  by  the  trustees  of  the  academy — 
to  choose  a  new  name.  Minister  John  Lindsay,  one  of  the 
three,  reported  "Eureka,"  and  the  people,  believing  that  they 
had  found  a  favored  spot  in  a  goodly  land,  adopted  it. 

As  the  result  of  an  application  and  some  necessary  but 
altogether  honorable  caucusing,  the  Legislature  of  Illinois, 
by  a  special  act  passed  in  February,  1855,  incorporated. 

EUREKA  COLLEGE. 

Under  the  liberal  provisions  of  this  charter  the  institu- 
tion has  continued  uninterruptedly  from  September  of  that 
year  to  the  present  time.  With  the  summer  of  1855  the 
academy's  work  was  merged  into  that  of  the  college.  The 
first  Faculty  was  composed  of  the  following:  William  M. 
Brown,  president :  A.  S.  Fisher,  J.  H.  Neville,  O.  A.  Burgess, 
Richard  Conover,  Mrs.  Sarah  F.  Conover  and  Aliss  Ellen  F. 
True.  Mr.  Burgess  remained  but  one  year,  preferring  the 
work  of  the  ministry  to  that  of  the  classroom.  He  was  a 
man  of  striking  physique  and  commanding  personality.    Well 


40  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

developed  and  finely  disciplined,  he  was  self-conscious  and 
self-poised.  With  the  mentality  of  a  master  and  the  tender 
heart  of  a  woman,  he  was  a  regal  man  whose  influence  re- 
mained with  all  lives  he  touched. 

The  new  Board  of  Trustees  turned  their  attention  at  once 
to  questions  of  finance,  grounds  and  a  new  building.  The 
school  had  grown  steadily  in  popularity,  numbers  and  ef- 
ficiency; so  enlarged  accommodations  became  imperative.  The 
campus,  a  tract  of  about  fifteen  acres,  was  the  joint  gift  of 
Elias  B.  Myers  and  James  Conover,  residents  of  the  com- 
munity and  faithful  friends  of  the  school.  Its  graceful 
slopes  that  the  bluegrass  loves,  covered  with  stately  trees  of 
the  primeval  forest,  have  always  been  regarded  as  an  ideal 
spot  for  a  college.  Its  charms  appeal  to  the  love  of  the  beau- 
tiful in  nature  in  all  beholders. 

President  Brown  and  Minister  William  Davenport  served 
as  solicitors  of  finance  and  promoters  of  the  institution  in 
many  parts  of  the  State.  Within  a  few  months  about  $60,000 
had  been  secured  in  interest-bearing  notes.  One-third  of  these 
were  to  be  used  in  the  erection  of  the  new  building.  Relying 
upon  these  notes  and  college  friends,  the  trustees  secured  a 
loan  and  let  the  contract  for  the  building  in  the  spring  of 
1857.  It  was  completed  in  the  summer  of  1858,  and  has  been 
in  continuous  use  since  that  time.  This  loan  had  the  per- 
sonal guarantee  of  Messrs.  John  Darst,  E.  B.  Myers  and 
William  Davenport,  joint-leaders  in  this  enterprise. 

The  financial  panic  of  1857  swept  the  whole  country  like 
a  cyclone.  Banks  failed  and  business  was  paralyzed.  Farm- 
ers marketing  their  products  were  paid  in  bank  notes,  many 
of  which  depreciated  from  10  to  100  per  cent,  within  from 
one  to  sixty  days.  Printed  "Bank  Detectors"  were  circulated 
and  consulted  daily  and  eagerly.  These  conditions  rendered 
many  of  the  notes  held  by  the  trustees  valueless,  and  hin- 
dered many  patrons  from  sending  their  children  to  the  schooL 
The  college  thus  suffered  its  first  reverse.  However,  the 
matriculation  in  this  session  numbered  276. 

Professor  Neville  left  the  school  in  the  summer  of  1857. 


CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION  41 

The  facile  pen  of  Professor  Radford  has  given  this  picture 
of  him: 

He  was  singularly  handsome,  and  the  contour  of  his  head  and 
the  expression  of  his  face  suggested  the  purely  intellectual  in  a  greater 
degree  than  I  have  seen  in  any  other  person.  He  loved  intellectual 
exercise  for  its  own  sake.  The  emotional  and  physical  demands  must 
wait  upon  the  mental.  He  had  little  patience  with  mediocrity.  Aptness 
in  a  student  covered  a  multitude  of  sins,  and  dullness  would  discount 
a  whole  catalogue  of  virtues.  His  intense  intellectuality,  which  often 
slid  into  the  minor  key  of  abstractedness,  led  to  many  eccentricities, 
which  were  copied  by  us  in  the  sincerest  of  all  flattery — imitation.  It 
was  amusing,  no  doubt — all  that  awkward  and  misfit  affectation  of 
oddities  in  gait  and  manner  and  abstractedness.  But  when  we  call 
to  mind  what  extravagances  are  indulged  in  by  the  worshipers  of 
Browning,  or  Balzac,  or  Kipling ;  what  aping  of  royal  eccentricities, 
deformities,  and  even  vices,  are  common  in  high  social  life — we  shall 
see  that  these  rustic  admirers  of  the  brilliant  young  teacher  were  not 
fools  above  all  that  dwell  upon  the  face  of  the  earth. 

In  January,  1857,  Charles  Louis  Loos  came  to  the  college 
as  its  president.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Bethany,  and  had 
served  three  years  as  a  teacher  in  that  institution.  He  was 
a  native  of  France  and  had  heen  trained  in  the  Lutheran 
faith.  His  acceptance  of  the  position  of  the  Disciples  came 
from  a  clear  conviction  of  truth  and  duty.  His  change  of 
church  relation  caused  much  bitterness  among  his  Lutheran 
relatives.  He  remained  at  the  head  of  the  college  only  until 
the  summer  of  1858,  when  he  returned  to  Bethany's  Faculty. 

He  was  succeeded  in  the  presidency  by  Mr.  George  Gal- 
lender,  who  came  to  Walnut  Grove  from  Liverpool,  England, 
in  1852.  He  was  a  Scotchman  of  fine  mind  and  culture,  and 
was  highly  esteemed  by  the  students.  Three  years  after  his 
arrival  in  this  locality,  on  a  beautiful  summer  afternoon,  be- 
fore a  large  concourse  of  people  assembled  on  the  bank  of 
Walnut  Greek,  he  declared  in  an  impassioned  address  his 
joyful  acceptance  of  the  common,  catholic  principles  of  the 
New  Testament  faith,  and,  with  his  wife,  was  then  immersed. 
Mr.  Gallender  did  little  classroom  work,  but  his  frequent  lec- 
tures were  a  source  of  information  and  inspiration  to  the 
students.     The    session   beginning    September,    1858,    opened 


42  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

with  the  following  Faculty:  George  Callender,  B.  W.  John- 
son, A.  S.  Fisher,  Dr.  J.  M.  Allen,  Misses  Sue  S.  Smith, 
Elmira  J.  Dickinson  and  Jane  Ewing. 

As  early  as  1849  a  society  was  formed  among  the  stu- 
dents for  literary  and  social  culture.  It  was  named  ''Walnut 
Grove  Literary  Institute."  Its  meetings  were  held  on  Friday 
evening  of  every  week,  and  were  a  source  of  great  profit 
and  pleasure  to  its  members.  In  after  years  it  was  incorpo- 
rated under  the  name,  "Edmund  Burke  Society."  In  1857 
the  Periclesian  and  Mathesian  Societies  were  organized,  the 
latter  for  the  help  of  young  men  looking  toward  the  Chris- 
tian ministry.  These  three  societies  were  composed  exclu- 
sively of  males ;  so  in  1857  the  Excelsior  Society  was  formed 
for  the  advantage  of  young  women.  It  continued  as  a  helpful 
agency  until  in  later  years  the  Edmund  Burke  and  Peri- 
clesian Societies  declared  ladies  eligible  to  their  memberships. 
Through  the  fifty-six  years  of  the  life  of  the  college  these 
societies  have  continued  uninterruptedly.  They  have  been 
valuable  auxiliaries  to  the  direct  work  of  the  institution. 

In  1860  the  college  graduated  its  first  class — Mr.  E.  W. 
Dickinson.  He  was  then,  and  has  been  through  most  of  the 
years  since,  a  resident  of  Eureka,  and  has  been  one  of  its 
most  honorable  and  useful  citizens. 

To  the  Faculty  of  September,  1860,  there  were  added 
Messrs.  R.  H.  Johnson  and  J.  H.  Rowell  and  Misses  Sarah 
Lamphere  and  Mary  G.  Clark,  making  altogether  a  teaching 
force  of  nine  persons.  Both  the  attendance  and  work  of  the 
school  were  encouraging. 

In  1861  came  the  beginning  of  the  great  Civil  War.  The 
one  thought  then  uppermost  in  the  minds,  and  the  one  pas- 
sion that  then  dominated  every  other  in  the  hearts  of  all  of 
America's  loyal  sons  and  daughters,  was  the  preservation  of 
the  integrity  of  our  Federal  Union.  In  response  to  the  first 
call  of  President  Lincoln  for  volunteers,  five  of  the  seven 
men  who  were  members  of  the  Senior  class — one  of  whom 
was  a  teacher  also — entered  the  military  service.  It  is  a  fact 
significant  of  the  loyalty  of  the  Disciples  of  Illinois  to  our 


CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION  43 

flag  that,  in  the  awful  period  of  storm  and  strife,  the  college 
graduated  only  three  men.  This  institution  has  never  been 
the  slavish  ally  of  any  political  party.  Throughout  its  entire 
history  it  has  always  stood  for  those  immutable  principles  of 
civic  justice  and  righteousness  that  make  peoples  truly  great 
and  assure  the  life  of  the  republic. 

B.  W.  Johnson  succeeded  to  the  presidency  in  1862.  He 
had  performed  the  active  duties  of  that  office  since  1858.  He 
had  been  a  student  for  three  years  in  the  academy,  and  there- 
after by  two  years'  work  in  Bethany  had  graduated  there. 
He  was  probably  the  best  informed  man  on  general  history 
ever  connected  with  the  college.  During  that  period  many 
students  listened  eagerly  to  his  remarkable  and  charming  lec- 
tures on  this  subject. 

Mr.  H.  W.  Everest  came  to  the  presidency  in  1864.  Leav- 
ing Bethany  as  a  student  because  of  his  political  convictions, 
he  graduated  from  Oberlin.  He  left  the  presidency  of  Hiram 
College  to  come  to  Eureka.  He  was  himself  an  untiring 
student  of  broad  scholarship,  a  fine  instructor  in  many  lines 
of  knowledge,  and  of  superior  executive  ability.  He  was  a 
modest  man  of  fine  personality  who  awakened  commendable 
ambitions  in  his  pupils  and  impressed  them  with  high  ideals. 
For  more  than  half  a  century  his  influence  was  a  potent  factor 
in  the  lives  of  many  who  ever  counted  his  guiding  friendship 
a  privilege.  During  the  first  three  years  of  his  administra- 
tion the  number  of  students  increased  from  125  to  225.  The 
close  of  the  Civil  War  and  the  resumption  of  normal  condi- 
tions contributed  to  this  result.  Then  he  was  assisted  by 
some  able  coadjutors  in  the  school — H.  O.  Newcomb,  a  grad- 
uate of  the  University  of  Michigan,  a  kindly  teacher  upon 
whom  "the  boys"  could  always  depend  in  "emergencies,"  and 
Dr.  J.  M.  Allen,  a  lovable  and  stimulating  instructor. 

In  1863  the  deficit  in  current  expenses  became  serious.  A 
canvass  of  the  community  was  made  and  enough  money  was 
secured  to  tide  over  for  a  time.  In  this  and  many  other 
emergencies  of  the  college  Mr.  John  Darst  was  the  leading 
man* 


44  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Mr.  Darst  came  from  Ohio  to  Walnut  Grove  in  1851. 
Five  years  thereafter  he  laid  out  the  town  site  of  Eureka  o.i 
land  that  he  had  previously  purchased.  He  was  the  embodi 
ment  of  energy  and  industry,  the  soul  of  honor,  "diligent  in 
business,  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord."  Frequently  he 
subordinated  his  personal  interests  to  the  public  good.  More 
than  once  he  mortgaged  his  land  to  secure  money  to  help 
the  college.  He  was  officially  connected  with  the  school  for 
forty  years  and  was  one  of  its  most  steadfast  and  dependable 
friends.  At  a  meeting  held  in  Bloomington  in  1868  to  con- 
sider the  educational  interests  of  the  Disciples  in  Illinois, 
reference  was  made  to  his  liberality.  Mr.  Darst  repHed: 
"Indeed,  brethren,  it  has  been  a  sort  of  selfish  thing  with 
me;  for  I  feel  a  great  deal  happier  than  if  I  did  not  give." 
He  was  the  open  foe  of  the  saloon,  and  contributed  five  sons 
to  the  Union  Army.  He  was  the  helpful  friend  of  young 
men  preparing  for  the  ministry.  B.  B.  Tyler  was  one  to 
whom  he  extended  practical  encouragement.  Mr.  Tyler  said: 
*T  want  the  world  to  know  what  John  Darst  did  for  me  and 
for  the  church  of  Christ.  HI  have  been  worth  anything  to 
the  world,  let  the  grand  good  man  have  the  honor  that  be- 
longs to  him." 

In  1866  an  effort  was  made  to  add  a  few  thousand  dol- 
lars to  the  endowment,  but,  inasmuch  as  the  donors  were 
made  the  preferred  borrowers,  a  large  percentage  of  these 
notes  became  worthless  through  unexpected  business  failures ; 
so  the  net  result  was  small.  The  annual  deficit  increased  in 
size  like  a  rolled  snowball.  Overdue  debts  became  an  annoy- 
ance to  the  trustees  and  a  very  disagreeable  inconvenience 
to  the  teachers.  In  this  emergency  individual  claims  were 
surrendered  by  numerous  friends,  a  loan  of  $12,000  was 
secured,  and  thus  temporary  relief  was  attained.  Meanwhile 
solicitors  were  afield.  Among  them  were  Dr.  J.  M.  Allen 
and  Ministers  W.  T.  Maupin  and  W.  G.  Anderson. 

By  1867  the  college  had  quite  outgrown  the  capacity  of 
the  one  building  used  for  nine  years.  Its  chapel  was  too 
small,  the  library  and  museum  were  overcrowded,  and  the 


CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION  45 

literary  societies  needed  more  room.    Hence  the  chapel  build- 
ing was  planned,  partly  financed  and  finished  in  1868. 

At  the  close  of  eight  years'  service  Mr.  Everest  resigned 
in  1872.  He  was  succeeded  the  following  year  by  A.  M. 
Weston,  who  had  come  to  the  college  two  years  before.  He 
was  a  graduate  of  Antioch  College  under  Horace  Mann,  had 
served  as  city  editor  on  a  Cincinnati  (O.)  daily  paper,  had 
given  three  years  of  his  life  in  the  Union  Army,  rising  from 
a  private  to  a  second  lieutenancy,  and  thereafter  had  given 
five  years  to  educational  work.  During  the  three  years  of 
his  presidency  at  Eureka  the  number  of  students  steadily  in- 
creased each  year. 

B.  J.  Radford,  the  second,  was  born  in  Walnut  Grove  and 
has  passed  most  of  the  seventy-five  years  of  his  busy  and 
fruitful  life  in  that  community.  After  more  than  three  years 
of  military  service  in  the  Federal  Army,  he  graduated  at 
Eureka  in  the  class  of  1866.  Beginning  at  Niantic,  Illinois, 
in  1868  and  closing  in  Denver,  Colorado,  in  1892,  he  spent 
sixteen  years  in  ministerial  work,  interspersed  with  teaching. 
His  ministerial  work  was  from  1871  to  1881  at  Eureka,  and 
with  intervals  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  and  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
Beginning  in  1870,  he  was  a  college  teacher,  serving  thirty 
full  years,  including  one  year  as  president  of  Drake  Uni- 
versity; the  other  twenty-nine  years  were  given  to  Eureka 
College.  He  succeeded  Mr.  Weston  in  the  presidency,  con- 
tinuing two  years  in  that  position.  His  administration  of  all 
the  interests  of  the  institution  was  wise.  Throughout  his  Hfe 
Mr.  Radford  has  been  an  omnivorous  reader,  an  earnest  stu- 
dent, a  great  thinker,  an  inspiring  teacher  and  an  interesting 
public  speaker.  Further,  he  is  a  clear  and  forceful  writer, 
his  productions  including  some  genuine  poetry.  He  has  an  ap- 
parently inexhaustible  fund  of  humor  and  anecdote  and  is 
thoroughly  democratic  in  his  instincts.  His  life  has  been 
filled  with  earnest  toil  and  uncomplaining  self-sacrifice.  Dur- 
ing his  long  career  as  a  teacher  he  came  into  personal  touch 
and  the  range  of  mental  influence  with  thousands  of  young 
people  who  "have  passed  through  his  classrooms.     Hundreds 


46  HISTORY  OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

of  these  were  preparing  for  the  Christian  ministry;  so  he 
has  gripped  the  Hves  of  a  larger  number  of  youth  by  his  po- 
tent personaHty  than  any  other  man  ever  connected  with  the 
institution.  He  has  made  an  immeasurable  contribution  to 
the  promotion  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  Since  1886  he  has 
been  an  associate  editor  of  the  Christian  Standard.  With 
Miss  Jessie  Brown  he  was  coeditor  of  The  Disciple  for  two 
years.  For  a  period  of  ten  years  he  was  a  popular  lecturer 
on  the  Chautauqua  platforms  in  Illinois,  Indiana,  Kansas  and 
Tennessee,  and  for  a  much  longer  time  in  temperance  and 
social-reform  service.  He  is  not  without  honor  in  his  home 
community,  for  he  has  there  united  more  couples  in  wedlock 
than  any  other  man,  while  he  has  conducted  probably  one- 
half  of  all  the  funerals  of  those  who  now  rest  in  Olio's 
silent  city.  'The  Professor"  is  still  strong,  active  and  helpful, 
and  is  fairly  entitled  to  be  known  as  the  honorable  and  hon- 
ored "Sage  of  Eureka." 

H.  W.  Everest  returned  to  the  presidency  of  the  college 
in  1877.  For  three  years  more  he  led  the  school  with  his 
fine  energy  and  scholarship.  During  this  time  a  boarding- 
house  for  young  men,  with  a  capacity  for  forty-eight,  was 
built.  But  this  hall  and  that  one  erected  in  1854,  having 
served  well  their  purposes,  have  gone  the  way  of  all  earth. 
Each  in  its  time  was  full  of  the  romances  of  youth — its  joy- 
ous laughter  and  midnight  oil — but  now  there  remain  of  them 
only  a  few  fading  memories. 

In  1881,  Dr.  J.  M.  Allen  was  elected  to  the  presidency. 
Giving  up  the  practice  of  medicine,  he  began  his  thirty  years' 
service  in  the  college  in  1857.  He  gave  the  college  faithful 
and  efficient  work  as  teacher,  solicitor  and  president.  His 
life  was  filled  with  good  deeds  and  self-sacrifice.  With  a 
keen  sense  of  humor,  apt  incident  and  fitting  anecdote,  he 
was  always  popular.  His  manifest  sincerity  and  loyalty  to 
truth  and  right  awakened  noble  ideals  in  his  pupils.  His  fine 
character  left  an  imperishable  impress  upon  thousands  of 
young  men  and  women.  The  college  prospered  during  the 
four  years  of  his  administration. 


CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION  47 

The  teachers  here  have  always  received  small  salaries. 
Tuition  fees  are  quite  insufficient  to  meet  the  current  expenses 
of  any  average  school.  Another  effort  was  made  to  increase 
the  endowment,  but  with  Hmited  results.  Hence  an  Aid  Fund 
was  begun,  and  by  this  method  a  goodly  number  of  friends 
gave  direct  help  for  thirty  years.  During  that  period  Minis- 
ter W.  F.  Black  gave  valuable  assistance.  For  the  most  the 
teachers  have  been  men  and  women  who  were  self-sacrificing, 
esteeming  the  Christian  training  and  culture  of  young  people 
greater  gain  than  material  riches.  And  since  teachers  and 
taught  have  been  in  almost  daily  personal  contact,  the  influ- 
ence of  this  consecration  has  imperceptibly  transformed  ideals 
of  life  in  the  students  as  the  vernal  sun  changes  the  face  of 
the  earth. 

The  curriculum  was  broadened  with  the  passing  years, 
and,  considering  its  limited  material  resources,  the  college 
kept  pace  with  educational  progress  in  a  marked  degree. 

In  1884  a  commodious  audience-room,  designed  by  Pro- 
fessor Radford,  was  erected  on  the  college  campus,  called 
"The  Tabernacle."  It  is  80  by  100  feet  in  dimensions,  seat- 
ing twelve  hundred  people.  Its  cost  was  $4,000,  w^hich  was 
paid  by  citizens  of  the  community.  It  stands  on  gently  sloping 
ground  that  forms  a  natural  amphitheater.  For  a  period  of 
twelve  years  the  State  Missionary  Convention  assembled 
there.  It  has  served  the  college  on  Commencement  and  other 
occasions,  and  the  community  for  various  purposes,  inclu- 
ding in  the  later  years  Chautauqua  programs. 

In  this  year  the  union  of  Eureka  and  Abingdon  Colleges 
was  effected.  The  latter  had  been  crippled  years  before  by 
internal  strife,  and  its  popularity  and  usefulness  much  im- 
paired thereby.  The  public  schools  were  growing  steadily 
in  efficiency  and  consequent  appreciation.  Removed  from 
three  to  five  decades  from  the  period  of  pioneer  school  work, 
many  Disciples  did  not  understand  the  value  and  functions 
of  colleges  owned  and  directed  by  themselves.  The  material 
and  mental  steadily  overgrew  the  spiritual  in  public  esteem. 
Both  of  these  colleges  were  receiving  feeble  financial  support. 


48  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

and  that  came  mostly  from  the  two  locaHties  in  which  they 
were  situated.  In  the  early  eighties  it  became  apparent  that 
both  of  them  could  not  live.  Pres.  F.  M.  Bruner  made 
herculean  efforts  to  save  the  Abingdon  school.  He  knew  its 
value  to  the  churches  of  Christ  in  that  part  of  the  State  and 
at  large.  But  it  was  not  so  written  in  the  records  of  destiny. 
After  correspondence  and  personal  consultations,  it  was  de- 
cided to  unite  the  college  interests  of  the  Disciples  in  Illinois 
at  Eureka.  By  this  arrangement  F.  M.  Bruner;  his  son,  H. 
L.  Bruner ;  his  daughter,  Miss  Lettie  Bruner,  and  Mr.  W.  S. 
Errett  became  members  of  the  Faculty  of  the  united  school. 
Up  to  that  date  Abingdon  had  graduated  164  and  Eureka 
133  young  men  and  women,  a  total  of  297.  This  number 
probably  did  not  amount  to  one-tenth  of  those  who  had  come 
under  their  helpful  influences. 

Carl  Johann  became  president  in  1887.  He  had  served 
in  this  capacity  during  the  preceding  year  while  Dr.  J.  M. 
Allen  was  afield  for  finance.  Mr.  Johann  was  a  native  of 
Switzerland,  near  the  boundary-line  of  France.  From  his 
sixth  year  he  attended  school  eleven  months  in  the  year,  and 
at  the  age  of  fifteen  graduated  from  the  high  school  of  his 
native  city — Chaux-de-Fonds.  During  this  period  he  acquired 
a  knowledge  of  both  the  German  and  French  languages,  as 
both  were  in  common  use  by  the  people  of  his  native  city. 
He  was  next  sent  by  his  parents  to  the  College  of  Lausanne, 
where  he  completed  its  course  of  study  in  three  years. 
Thereafter  he  was  a  student  in  the  Universities  of  Aaran  and 
Zurich  for  two  years.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  went  to 
Paris,  France,  to  study,  but  within  the  year  decided  to  come 
to  America.  Flere  he  readily  acquired  a  knowledge  of  our 
language.  After  various  experiences  as  farm-helper,  tutor, 
surveyor  and  public-school  teacher,  he  came  to  Eureka  in  the 
fall  of  1876  as  Professor  of  Modern  Languages.  He  was 
connected  with  the  college  twenty  years — eleven  years  as  a 
teacher  and  nine  as  president. 

The  attendance  of  students  was  steadily  increasing,  so  that 
the  boarding-halls  were  quite  inadequate.     At  this  juncture 


CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION  49 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  J.  Ford,  then  residents  of  Eureka  and  sin- 
cere friends  of  the  school,  tendered  to  the  trustees  as  a  gift 
their  beautiful  residence,  with  four  and  a  half  acres  of 
ground  adjoining  the  campus,  to  be  made  into  a  boarding- 
hall  for  young  lady  students.  The  conditions  were  that  it 
should  be  suitably  enlarged  and  be  known  as  *'Lida's  Wood" 
— in  memory  of  their  only  daughter.  At  a  cost  of  $10,000 
the  building  was  enlarged,  completed  and  opened  for  students 
in  the  fall  of  1888.  After  being  used  for  five  and  a  half 
years,  this  structure  was  burned  to  the  ground  January  11, 
1894.  It  was  soon  thereafter  rebuilt  on  a  larger  and  better 
plan.  The  yard  of  'The  Wood"  is  covered  with  native, 
stately  trees  and  is  a  charming  place.  The  property  has  al- 
ways been  a  valuable  and  pleasing  adjunct  to  the  educational 
and  social  work  of  the  institution. 

By  1890  the  attendance  of  students  had  so  increased  that 
the  classroom  facilities  were  quite  inadequate.  The  effort  for 
a  new  building  resulted  in  the  completion  of  Burgess  Mem.o- 
rial  Hall  in  1892,  at  a  cost  of  $21,000.  Of  this  sum,  $10,000 
was  the  gift  of  I\Irs.  O.  A.  Burgess.  The  building  was 
named  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  that  it  should  stand  as  a 
memorial  of  her  deceased  husband,  who,  in  its  early  years, 
had  served  as  a  teacher  there  and  was  a  distinguished  repre- 
sentative of  the  Disciples.  In  the  session  of  1892-93  there 
wevQ  386  students  enrolled,  while  the  teachers  numbered 
nineteen. 

In  1890  the  trustees  bought  a  five-acre  tract  near  the 
campus  for  an  athletic  park.  At  the  same  time  they  con- 
verted a  part  of  the  old  college  building  into  a  gymnasium. 

In  these  years  of  encouraging  progress  and  helpfulness 
there  were  silent  and  potent  forces  at  work  that  were  soon 
to  challenge  the  very  life  of  the  institution.  The  first  and 
smaller  of  the  two  chief  influences  was  the  financial  panic  of 
the  early  nineties.  The  depreciation  of  values,  the  stagnation 
of  business,  the  tramp  of  millions  of  industrious  men  and 
women  in  search  of  honorable  work,  and  the  utter  ruin  of 
countless  commendable  enterprises,  were  appalling.    This  de- 


50  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

prcssion  reached  many  nations.  Naturally,  attendance  de- 
creased at  such  educational  institutions,  while  their  friends 
were  generally  less  able  to  furnish  the  money  they  needed. 

But  the  greatest  and  continuing  force  with  which  all  such 
colleges  in  Illinois  must  take  account  is  the  public-school  sys- 
tem of  the  State.  Founded  in  1825,  it  has  grown  steadily  in 
efficiency  and  popularity.  This  enlargement  was  particularly 
apparent  in  the  two  closing  decades  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
In  1870  there  were  only  two  public  high  schools  in  Illinois ; 
now  (1912)  there  are  v365  such  schools  in  towns  and  cities, 
with  fifty-seven  township  high  schools  having  a  four  years' 
course — a  total  of  422.  Many  of  them  are  accredited  to  the 
State  University.  The  curriculum  of  these  schools  has  grown 
until  now  it  is  fully  equal  to  that  of  the  church  schools  forty 
years  ago.  While  these  colleges  enlarged  their  courses  of 
study  and  became  more  efficient  in  their  work,  they  did  not 
keep  up  with  the  State's  high  schools  in  popularity.  The 
latter  came  to  be  regarded  as  the  ''People's  College."  Since 
about  1890,  courses  in  these  high  schools  have  been  elective, 
while  at  the  present  time  there  is  a  marked  tendency  toward 
vocational  training.  During  this  period  of  high-school 
growth  the  commonwealth  had  added  to  the  two  already  in 
operation  three  additional  Normal  Schools — one  in  the  east- 
ern, one  in  the  western  and  one  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
State.  Access  is  thus  made  comparatively  easy  and  inex- 
pensive to  most  of  the  young  people  who  desire  to  attend 
them.  Meanwhile,  the  University  of  Illinois  has  continued 
to  grow  in  every  way.  The  expenses  incurred  in  the  estab- 
lishing, equipment  and  conduct  of  this  superior  system  of 
mental  development  and  culture  are  largely  met  by  general 
taxation,  while  the  ever-increasing  attendance  develops  en- 
thusiasm in  the  student  body.  These  things  have  had  a 
marked  influence  toward  decreasing  the  growth  of  church 
schools  in  attendance. 

By  1896  an  indebtedness  of  $30,000  confronted  the  trus- 
tees. Minister  J.  H.  Hardin  had  shown  his  ability  as  a 
solicitor  in  several  fields ;  so,  upon  the  invitation  of  the  board, 


CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION  51 

he  accepted  the  presidency.  It  was  understood  that,  for  a 
time  at  least,  his  attention  would  be  given  to  finance.  Under 
his  leadership  the  debt  was  paid  and  200  acres  of  land  in  the 
corn  belt  of  Illinois  was  given  to  the  college  by  Mr.  T.  A. 
Bondurant,  of  De  Land,  Illinois.  Mr.  Hardin  was  a  graduate 
of  Kentucky  and  Missouri  Universities,  had  served  as  presi- 
dent of  Christian  University  at  Canton,  Missouri;  as  corre- 
sponding secretary  of  the  American  Christian  Missionary 
Society,  and  in  other  responsible  positions,  before  coming  to 
Eureka.  During  his  administration  the  academic  garb  was 
first  introduced  and  worn  at  Commencement. 

The  grade  of  work  done  by  Eureka  College  is  indicated, 
in  some  degree,  by  the  following  facts:  The  college  was  ad- 
mitted as  a  member  of  the  Illinois  Intercollegiate  Oratorical 
Association  in  1896.  This  is  composed  of  Knox,  lUinois, 
Monmouth  and  Eureka  Colleges  and  Wesleyan  and  Black- 
burn Universities.  For  the  ten  years  next  ensuing,  Eureka's 
place  was  this:  1896,  second  place;  1897,  fourth;  1898,  first; 
1899,  first;  1900,  first;  1901,  second;  1902,  first;  1903,  sec- 
ond; 1904,  first;  1905,  first — six  firsts  and  three  seconds  for 
Eureka  in  one  decade  became  painfully  monotonous  to  the 
other  colleges  forming  the  association.  Something  had  to 
be  done ;  so  in  1906  the  young  men  in  Eureka  preparing  for 
the  Christian  ministry  were,  by  a  vote  of  the  association,  de- 
barred from  its  membership  on  the  alleged  ground  that  "they 
are  professionals"!  And,  further,  the  same  spirit  and  good 
work  that  fairly  won  these  honors  brought  victory  in  other 
contests  also.  The  only  time  Eureka  had  a  representative 
in  the  Equal  Suffrage  Contest,  the  first  place  was  given  by 
every  judge.  The  Peace  Contest  is  open  to  all  the  colleges 
of  the  State.  Eureka  has  taken  fourth  place,  and  in  1912 
secured  third,  fourteen  colleges  competing.  Even  better  suc- 
cess has  been  the  order  in  Prohibition  work.  One  third  place, 
two  seconds  and  two  firsts  make  a  worthy  record.  Twice 
have  Eureka's  representatives  won  high  honors  in  the  Inter- 
state Prohibition  Contest.  One  year  Eureka's  representative 
tied  for  first  place  in  thought  and  composition  and  ranked 


32  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

third  on   the   final   grade,   and   in    1900   he   took   first   place. 

Robert  E.  Hieronymus  became  president  in  1900.  Pie  was 
born  in  Logan  County,  Illinois,  in  1862,  graduated  from  the 
State  Normal  in  1886,  from  Eureka  in  1889,  and  thereafter 
was  one  year  a  student  in  the  University  of  Michigan.  He 
was  a  successful  teacher  in  the  college  from  1890  to  1899, 
except  two  years  in  which  he  was  engaged  as  superintendent 
of  extension  work  in  the  University  of  California.  During 
his  presidency  the  central  heating-plant  was  installed,  and  the 
college  buildings  were  renovated,  repaired  and  modernized. 
In  the  library  $5,000  was  invested  and  about  twenty-five  hun- 
dred volumes  were  added  thereto. 

There  were  three  problems  that  confronted  the  adminis- 
tration of  Mr.  Hieronymus,  all  of  which  had  been  accentuated 
by  some  preceding  years.  First,  that  of  financial  support 
was,  of  course,  continuous.  Second,  the  growing  efficiency, 
popularity  and  geographical  convenience  of  the  system  of  the 
State  schools,  as  above  noted,  imposed  upon  the  church 
schools  a  very  earnest  and  serious  contest  for  students. 
Then,  the  question  of  holding  growing  and  capable  teachers 
was  to  be  met — and  it  is  yet.  The  college  has  developed 
some  of  its  graduates  into  very  efficient  teachers  only  to  lose 
a  number  of  them  at  the  time  of  their  larger  usefulness  to 
other  better  com.pensating  institutions. 

Through  the  initiative  of  President  Hieronymus,  the 
Young  Men's  and  Young  Women's  Christian  Associations 
were  formed  in  the  college.  He  encouraged  and  emphasized 
the  Student  Volunteer  Movement  and  foreign  mission  service. 
By  means  of  these  agencies  the  Christian  activities  of  the 
college  were  brought  up  to  date,  and  its  religious  influences, 
uniting  with  those  of  other  Protestant  church  schools  in 
Illinois,  made  themselves  definitely  felt  in  the  State  schools 
of  higher  education. 

For  sixty-five  years  Eureka  has  been  a  center  of  mis- 
sionary education  and  activity.  The  college  was  imbued  with 
the  aim  long  since.  The  list  of  missionaries  whom  the  college 
has  helped  to  train  is  a  notable  one.     Of  these,  three  died 


CHRISTIAN    EDUCATION  53 

before  leaving  their  homes — Miss  Lois  E.  A.  Pratz,  Miss 
AHce  Ropp  and  Mr.  Oliver  Moody.  The  following,  by  lea- 
son  of  ill  health  induced  by  residence  in  foreign  field,  or  from 
other  considerations,  have  either  returned  to  America,  or  arc 
now  elsewhere  and  otherwise  engaged:  Mr.  E.  E.  Paris,  Mr. 
and  i\Irs.  Roscoe  Hill,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  S.  Weaver  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  L.  C.  McPherson.  Those  now  at  work  in  other 
fields  are  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Melvin  Menges,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  E. 
Hagin,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  D.  McCoy,  Mr.  Leslie  Wolf,  Mr.  R. 
R.  Eldred,  Mr.  A.  E.  Cory,  Miss  Edna  Eck,  Miss  Bertha 
Lacock,  Miss  Nellie  Daugherty  (who  became  the  wife  of 
Dr.  Butchart),  Emory  Ross,  Mrs.  LilHe  Boyer  Hedges,  Dr. 
E.  B.  Pearson,  Lewis  A.  Hurt,  Dr.  W.  H.  Freymire  and  Miss 
Frances  Irene  Banta.  But  the  greatest  of  all  was  the  beau- 
tiful young  woman,  Miss  Ella  C.  Ewing,  who,  when  on  the 
banks  of  the  great  Congo  River,  mid-continent,  she  lay  dying 
of  African  fever,  said,  'Tell  them  to  come  and  take  my 
place."  In  all,  fifty-seven  missionaries  have  received  their 
training  at  Eureka ;  also,  fourteen  teachers  who  have  served 
in  the  Southern  Christian  Institute  at  Edwards,  Mississippi, 
and  two  in  the  academy  at  Hazel  Green,  Kentucky. 

The  Illinois  Christian  Educational  Association  was  formed 
by  a  few  devoted  women  in  Eureka  in  1899.  Its  object  is  to 
help  secure  the  co-operation  of  friends  through  the  State  in 
the  maintenance  and  enlargement  of  the  college.  One  dollar 
a  year  is  paid  by  every  member.  Since  its  beginning  about 
five  thousand  persons  have  thus  co-operated.  The  present 
membership  is  fifteen  hundred.  During  its  thirteen  years  the 
association  has  raised  and  paid  to  the  college  $45,000.  In 
this  agency  Mrs.  vS.  J.  Crawford  has  been  the  consecrated 
and  honored  leader. 

A  campaign  for  a  better  endowment  was  inaugurated  in 
the  State  Missionary  Convention  held  at  Paris  in  1906.  In 
January,  1912,  the  trustees  reported  that  the  college  was  en- 
tirely free  from  debt  and  that  it  had  a  bona-fide  endowment 
of  $170,000.  The  credit  and  honor  of  this  achievement  be- 
longs chiefly  to  Mr.  H.  H.  Peters,  who  led  in  this  campaign 


S4  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

for  three  years.  A  multitude  of  discouragements  confronted 
him  daily,  but  he  went  forward  with  the  courage,  the  optimism 
and  the  resolute  purpose  that  were  simply  admirable.  How- 
ever, if  the  Disciples  of  Illinois  think  to  conduct  a  creditable 
institution  of  learning  for  less  than  $1,000,000  in  bankable 
endowment,  they  quite  misread  the  signs  of  the  times. 
The  years  of  paltry  parsimony  in  the  best  educational  work 
have  gone  by.  This  school  would  have  died  long  since  had 
it  not  been  that  John  Darst,  Dr.  N.  B.  Crawford,  James  P. 
Darst,  and  others  while  living,  according  to  their  financial 
ability,  sustained  it  by  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of 
their  own  dollars.  Fifty  to  sixty  per  cent,  of  all  the  money 
paid  for  this  institution  has  been  contributed  by  the  com- 
munity in  which  it  is  located.  This  generosity  has  enriched 
the  community. 

President  Hieronymus  brought  the  college  to  a  standing 
among  and  recognition  by  the  other  educational  forces  of  the 
State  that  it  had  never  before  had.  During  the  nine  years 
of  his  administration  he  put  into  the  school  the  best  of  his 
fine  mind  and  heart.  The  burdens  were  more  than  he  could 
bear.  Broken  bodily  health  compelled  him  to  relinquish  the 
onerous  responsibilities. 

Prof.  A.  C.  Gray,  who  had  taught  in  the  college  since 
1908,  served  as  acting  president  for  two  and  a  half  years, 
not  wishing  to  accept  its  leadership.  Mr.  Charles  C.  Under- 
wood became  president  in  February,  1912.  He  was  succeeded 
by  Mr.  H.  O.  Pritchard,  September  1,  1913. 

H  schools  are  to  be  measured  by  the  men  and  women 
they  train  and  contribute  to  society,  then  Eureka  College  is 
the  equal  of  any  educational  institution  in  the  State  or  the 
nation.  Doing  severally  their  duties  wisely  and  well,  her 
sons  are  met  upon  the  farm  and  in  the  marts  of  trade,  in 
teachers  and  physicians,  at  the  bar  and  upon  the  bench,  in 
editorial  rooms  and  in  the  councils  of  state ;  and  her  daugh- 
ters, if  filling  less  conspicuous  places,  are  no  less  helpful 
in  serving  their  times. 

The   following  list  of   Christian  ministers  who   received 


CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION 


55 


their  training  chiefly  at  Eureka  indicates  in  some  degree  the 
value  of  the  institution  to  the  church  and  to  the  world: 


GRADUATES. 

Those  marked  thus  *  are  deceased. 


Adams,  C.  J. 
Allen,  John  W. 
Alsup,  J.  T. 
Bain,  John. 
Barnett,  H.  M. 
Barnett,  James  A. 
Bennett,  Harry  Gordon 
Beshers,  R.  L. 
Boyer,  E.  E. 
Boyer,  Thomas  A. 
Breeden,  H.  O. 
Bullock,  J.  Harry 
Burgess,  T.  M. 
Burnhara,  F.  W. 
Cannon,  Wm.  H. 
Carpenter,  J.  W. 
Carpenter,  W.  J. 
Chandler,  George  F. 
Chenoweth,  Irving  S. 
Clark,  H.  D.* 
Clemens,  J.  A. 
Cobb,  Abner  P. 
Coleson,  Hiram  K. 
Cory,  A.  E. 
Crank,  J.  R. 
Dabney,  C.  B. 
Dabney,  J.  D, 
Dale,  Hiram  U. 
Davis,  L.  F. 
Deweese,  W.  D. 
Doan,  R.  B. 
Doney,  O.  K. 
Drummet,  Wm. 
Ennefer,  S.  A. 
Faulders,  L.  I, 
Finger,  S.  Daisy 
Fisher,  EH* 
Fisher,  Stephen  E. 
Garrison,  VV.  E. 


Genders,  Henry* 
Ghormley,  J.  F. 
Gilliland,  Ernest  A. 
Giililand,  J.  H.* 
Green,  W.  A. 
Hagin,  Fred  E. 
Hallam,  S.  K. 
Harrington,  L.  S. 
Harris,  J.  E. 
Hart,  E.  J.* 
Haynes,  N.  S. 
Heckel,  C  A. 
Hieronymus,  R.  E. 
Horner,  J.  M. 
Hotaling,  L.  R. 
Huff,  A.  L. 
Huff,  Lewie  G. 
Idleman,  Finis  S. 
Jenner,  H.  H. 
Jones,  Silas 
Jordan.  O.  F. 
Kern,  W.  H. 
Kindred,  W.  H. 
Kirk,  James* 
Lappin,  W.  O. 
Lehman,  L.  O. 
Lichtenberger,  J.  P. 
Lyon,  Clyde  L. 
McBean,  John  L. 
McCoy,  R.  D. 
McKnight,  J.   P. 
McPherson,  Lowell  C. 
McReynolds,  Paul 
Marlow,  C.  W. 
Marsh,  Clark 
Mavity,  Thos.  W. 
Menges,  Melvin 
Miller,  Geo.  A. 
Mitchell,  Cyprus  R, 


Nay,  Roley 
Newton,  R.  H. 
Nichols,  Fred  S. 
Ogle,  J.  T. 
Oviatt,  O.  Q. 
Parke,  Myrtle  B. 
Parvin,  Ira  L. 
Peters,  Geo.  L. 
Peters,  H.  H. 
Pickerell,  L.  B. 
Price,  Wm, 
Quinlan,  J.  G. 
Radford,  B.  J. 
Radford,  Chas.  T. 
Reichel,  H.  C. 
Reynolds,  H.  J. 
Richards,  O.  A. 
Richardson,  W.  F. 
Rogers,  Edwin* 
Ross,  Geo.  W.* 
Ross,  Charles  W. 
Rowlison,  C.  C 
Sealock,  B.  H. 
Serena,  J.  A. 
Seyster,  D.  F. 
Shaw,  Herbert  P. 
Shaw,  W.  F. 
Shields,  David  H. 
Sinclair,  C.  C. 
Sinclair,  Ellmore 
Sinclair,  John  A. 
Skelton,  Leroy* 
Smith,  F.  E. 
Smith,  F.  P. 
Smith,  J.  F. 
Smith.  O.  L. 
Smith,  W.  G. 
Sniff,  W.  W. 
Spicer,  W.  E. 


56 


HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 


Stauffer,  C.  R. 
Stewart,  O.  W. 
Stivers,  J.  T. 
Street,  John  W. 
Streibich,  Harry  M. 
Sutherland,  Jos.  R. 
Sutton,  F.  W. 
Sweeney,  Geo.  W. 
Thackaberry,  F.  M. 


Thomas,  J.  N. 
Thomas,  R.  E. 
Thomas,  S.  M  * 
Thrapp,  R.  F. 
Tucker,  Harry  E. 
Vawter,  S.  D. 
Ven tress,  K.  C. 
\'ogel,  Peter* 
Waggoner,  H.  G. 


Waggoner,  J.  G. 
Waggoner,  W.  H. 
Weaver,  Clifford  S. 
Wetzel,  D.  N. 
Williams,  Charles 
Wilson,  Arthur  A.* 
Wray,  Burton  L. 
Zendt,  S.  H. 


NON-GRADUATE    STUDENTS. 


Allen,  J.  Buford* 
Allen,  James  M.* 
Agee,  Ivan  W. 
Asbell,  J.  M. 
Beckelhymer,  Isaac 
Beekman,  J.  V.* 
Berry,  Geo.  K, 
Berry,  J.  Festus* 
Borop,  N.  A. 
Bowen.  F.  L. 
Bradbury,  D.  C. 
Burr,  Amos  A. 
Calvin,  F.  N. 
Camp,  J.  W. 
Campbell,  Walter  S.* 
Cantrell,  C.  G. 
Carpenter,  C.  C. 
Clements,  J.  S. 
Cloe,  J.  N. 
Conner,  A.  M. 
Coombs,  J.  V. 
Cotterell,  Henry  A. 
Cragun.  E.  D. 
Cummings,  Clark  W. 
Dangerfield,  Rachel 
Davis,  F.  S. 
Denham,  W.  W. 
Deweese,  C.  C* 
Dunkerson,  Thomas* 
Earl,  Henry  S. 
Eldred,  R.  R. 
Engle.  Ira 
Ennefer,  W.  L. 
Evans,  Chas.  E. 


Fannon,  Shorland 
Finch,  C.  A. 
Finnell,  Rufus 
Gains,  C.  R. 
German,  W.  C. 
Gilcrest,  R.  A. 
Gish,  Ellis  P. 
Golden,  J.  R. 
Golightly,  T.  J. 
Hale,  A.  M. 
Harker,  J.  N. 
Harward,  H.  G. 
Hayden,  W.  H.* 
Henry,  A.  W. 
Hiett,  J.  W. 
Hill,  Lew  D. 
Holloman,  T.  J. 
Hougham,  C.  D. 
Honn,  D.  W. 
Howe,  D.  J. 
Howell,  R.  E.* 
Humphrey,  W.  A.* 
Husband,  David 
Jefferson,  S.  M.* 
Jewett,  J.  E.* 
Johnson,  B.  W.* 
Johnson,  J.  B. 
Johnson,  R.  H. 
Keller,  E.  H. 
Kindred,  C.  G. 
Kitchen,  W.  G. 
Lappin,  J.  C. 
Lappin,  S.  S. 
Ledgerwood,  H.  D.* 


Lessig,  Ray  S. 
Lester.  J.  N. 
iMcConnell,  W.  T. 
McCune,  J.  L. 
McElroy,  G.  W.* 
McPherson,  J.  H.* 
McPherson,  R.  P. 
Madden,  D.  W. 
Aladison,  W.  D. 
Maupin,  W.  T.* 
Medbury,  C.  S. 
Miller,  John* 
Moffett,  F.  L. 
Moomaw,  Otho 
Monser,  J.  W.* 
Organ,  C.  L. 
Porter,  J.  W. 
Poynter,  D.  J. 
Poynter,  W.  C* 
Pratt,  B.  C. 
Ragsdale,  Alva 
Rowe,  G.  H. 
Russell,  W.  J. 
Rust,  W.  H. 
Scott,  F.  A. 
Scrivens,  C.  A. 
Shirley,  Arnold 
Shurts,  John  W. 
Smith,  J.  T.* 
Smoot,  C.  E. 
Snively,  Geo.  L. 
Sorey,  M.  Lee 
Speck,  J.  R. 
Spicer,  A.  R. 


CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION  57 

Spriggs,  E.  A.  Sutton,  F.  W.  Willoughby,  W.  D. 

Stauffer,  C.  Lee  Sweeney,  Z.  T.  Wisher,  C.  C. 

Stevenson.  Marion  Thomas,  G.  W.  Wolfe,  Leslie  E. 

Stewart,  James  F.  Thomas.  L.  R.  Wright,  N.  J. 

Stout,  Elijah*  Tyler,  B.  B.  York,  P.  F. 

Stout,  John  E.  Weimer,  G.  M.  Zinck,  Gilbert 

To  the  list  of  those  who  were  trained  at  Eureka  for  the 
service  in  the  Kingdom  of  God,  the  following  names  should 
be  added :  Mrs.  Caroline  Neville  Pearre,  the  mother  of  the 
Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions;  Miss  Elmira  J.  Dick- 
inson, her  coadjutor  in  the  national  work  and  the  mother  of 
the  Illinois  C.  W.  B.  M. ;  Mrs.  O.  A.  Burgess,  the  president 
of  the  national  society  for  twelve  years  and  one  of  its  wisest 
leaders ;  Mrs.  S.  J.  Crawford  and  Miss  Anna  E.  Davidson, 
who  have  given  to  the  State  Society  invaluable  assistance. 

THE  DISCIPLES'  DIVINITY  HOUSE. 

This  school  originated  in  1895,  with  Mr.  Herbert  L.  Wil- 
lett  as  acting  dean. 

Its  purpose  is  to  provide,  at  the  University  of  Chicago, 
an  organization  of  all  students  who  look  toward  ministerial 
and  missionary  work.  The  House  is  an  organic  part  of  the 
university.  In  addition  to  the  regular  courses  of  the  divinity 
school  of  the  university,  the  House  offers  courses  of  instruc- 
tion to  graduate  students  in  the  origin,  teaching,  history,  aims 
and  literature  of  the  Disciples,  for  which  work  credit  is 
given  in  the  university.  Since  its  organization  about  three 
hundred  students — a  few  more  or  less — have  availed  them- 
selves of  its  advantages,  including  a  number  of  missionaries. 
Mr.  Willett  is  the  present  dean,  and  Mr.  Errett  Gates,  who 
is  also  a  member  of  the  university  corps  of  instructors,  is 
associated  with  him  in  its  work. 

The  management  of  the  House  is  vested  in  a  self-perpetu- 
ating board  of  fifteen  trustees  who  handle  all  property  and 
appoint  the  instructors.  In  1895  a  lot  150x175  feet  at  the 
corner  of  Fifty-seventh  Street  and  Lexington  Avenue,  just 
opposite    the    "University    Quadrangles,"    was    bought    for 


58  HISTORY  OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

$13,000.  On  this  the  Hyde  Park  Church  of  Christ  has  a  tem- 
porary chapel.  In  addition  to  this  lot,  the  House  has  an 
interest-bearing  endowment  of  $30,000.  It  is  the  purpose  of 
the  trustees  to  build  on  this  lot  a  structure,  costing  about 
$150,000,  which  shall  serve  as  the  home  of  the  Hyde  Park 
Church  of  Christ,  for  the  House  with  its  office,  library  and 
classrooms,  and  which  may  further  serve  as  the  common 
meeting-place  of  all  Disciples  who  may  be  in  attendance  at 
the  university  at  any  time.  Mr.  Charles  M.  Sharp  is  engaged 
to  lead  in  this  material  enterprise,  and  also  to  serve  as  an  addi- 
tional instructor  in  the  House.  The  library  was  based  on  the 
private  library  of  the  late  Min.  J.  T.  Toof,  to  which  has 
been  added  journalistic  and  other  literature  of  the  Disciples; 
also  German  and  Scottish  literature  pertaining  to  religious 
conditions  of  society  out  of  which  the  Restoration  movement 
grew.  This  is  the  only  school  among  the  Disciples  for  the 
higher  training  of  men  entering  the  ministry  of  the  word  of 
God.  The  Bible  chairs  are  to  furnish  college  students  with 
a  knowledge  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  The  city  of  Chicago 
affords  endless  facilities  for  practical  work.  It  is  a  labora- 
tory of  human  life. 

ABINGDON  COLLEGE. 

On  the  first  Monday  in  April,  1853,  Patrick  H.  Murphy 
and  John  C.  Reynolds  opened  a  school  in  Abingdon,  Illinois. 
They  called  it  Abingdon  Academy.  It  met  in  the  Christian 
Church,  a  plain  frame  building.  It  grew  and  prospered. 
Messrs.  Murphy  and  Reynolds  were  graduates  of  Bethany 
College.  They  possessed  the  educational  spirit  of  the  great 
founder  of  that  institution.  It  was  their  purpose  to  build  up 
a  first-class  college  at  Abingdon. 

Within  a  period  of  seventeen  months  a  three-story  brick 
building,  40  x  60  feet  in  dimensions,  had  been  erected  and 
equipped,  the  school  had  been  chartered  by  special  act  of  the 
State  Legislature  under  the  name  of  Abingdon  College,  and 
in  September,  1854,  the  institution  opened  its  doors  for  busi- 
ness.   The  first  name  written  on  the  registration  list  was  Miss 


CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION  59 

Elvira  Whitman,  Cameron,  Illinois.  She  was  sixteen  years 
of  age.  In  the  class  of  1858  she  graduated,  taught  four 
years  thereafter,  and  in  1862  became  the  wife  of  Judge  Dur- 
ham. They  traveled  very  happily  together  past  fifty  Thanks- 
giving Days;  when  that  of  1911  had  gone,  she  went  away  to 
the  Father's  house. 

President  Murphy  was  a  product  of  the  old  church  at 
Cameron.  He  was  scholarly,  a  good  teacher  and  executive, 
an  eloquent  preacher  and  a  fine  type  of  Christian  gentleman. 
The  college  began  most  auspiciously.  Everybody  breathed 
daily  the  hopefulness  and  enthusiasm  of  youth.  The  country, 
the  school,  the  building,  the  teachers  and  pupils  were  all 
young.  The  joy  of  living  and  learning  was  the  keenest.  Dur- 
ing the  six  years  of  Mr.  Murphy's  presidency  1,087  students 
were  enrolled,  of  whom  600  were  males  and  487  females.  In 
the  summer  of  1860  Mr.  Murphy  died  of  tuberculosis. 

He  was  succeeded  in  the  presidency  by  J.  W.  Butler,  who 
had  been  connected  with  the  college  from  its  beginning.  Un- 
der his  administration  the  school  continued  to  prosper.  New 
buildings  were  added  at  a  cost  of  $40,000,  and  were  fully 
paid  for.  The  Civil  War  seriously  affected  the  attendance  at 
nearly  all  schools.  However,  the  enrollment  during  nine 
years  of  Mr.  Butler's  ten  years'  administration  was  1,604,  of 
whom  983  were  males  and  721  females.  During  the  later 
years  of  his  administration  a  large  number  of  the  supporters 
and  friends  of  the  college  concluded  that  the  interests  of  the 
school  would  be  promoted  by  a  change  in  the  presidency. 
These  persons  gave  to  Mr.  Butler  honorable  recognition  for 
his  faithful  and  efficient  service ;  still,  they  insisted  upon  a 
change.  Mr.  Butler  fully  determined  that  there  should  be 
no  change  in  his  official  relation  to  the  college  at  that  time. 
This  led  to  factional  spirit  and  continued  contentions.  The 
school  lost  its  prestige  and  its  friends  fell  away.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  the  end  of  the  institution. 

At  this  juncture  J.  W.  McGarvey,  of  Lexington,  Ken- 
tucky, was  elected  president,  but  declined  the  honor.  IVTr. 
Butler  served  till  1874,  and  was  succeeded  by  Oval  Pirkey, 


60  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

who  passed  through  troubled  times.  Clark  Braden  was  at 
the  head  of  the  school  in  1876-77.  In  the  latter  year  F.  M. 
Bruner  came  to  the  presidency.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  schol- 
arship, unflagging  industry  and  commendable  ambitions.  He 
fully  realized  the  worth  of  the  college  as  a  factor  in  general 
education  and  particularly  its  value  to  the  churches  of  Christ 
in  the  Military  Tract  and  at  large  as  well.  His  efforts 
through  a  period  of  seven  years,  to  reanimate  and  rehabilitate 
the  college,  were  herculean  and  self-sacrificing  to  a  degree. 
But  it  was  not  so  written  in  the  records  of  destiny.  The 
evils  of  vain  ambition  could  not  be  undone.  In  1884  the  in- 
stitution became  affiliated  with  Eureka  College  and  its  doors 
were  closed  forever. 

But  Abingdon  was  worth  far  more  than  it  ever  cost.  It 
gave  to  the  church  and  society  useful  men  and  women  whose 
influences  for  good  have  been  widely  impressed.  Among 
these  may  be  named  A.  P.  Aten,  C.  C.  Button,  M.  F.  Button, 
G.  T.  Carpenter,  H.  H.  Coffeen,  George  Dew,  Judge  Durham, 
Lizzie  Dodge  Carson,  J.  H.  Garrison,  J,  H.  Gilliland,  William 
Griffin,  Josephus  Hopwood,  Marion  Ingles,  Mrs.  Libbie  F. 
Ingles,  G.  H.  Laughlin,  J.  M.  Martin,  C.  E.  Price,  J.  H. 
Smart,  A.  J.  Thompson,  J.  T.  Toof  and  Emma  Veatch  Lor- 
man.  During  the  life  of  the  college  it  had  graduated  164 
people,  and  about  four  thousand  had  come  into  direct  touch 
with  its  helpful  influences. 

Abingdon  College  had  practically  no  endowment. 

BEREAN  COLLEGE. 

This  institution  was  organized  at  Jacksonville,  under  the 
general  incorporation  law  of  the  State,  April  25,  1854.  Sec- 
tions 2  and  3  of  the  charter  read  as  follows: 

The  objects  contemplated  by  this  act  of  incorporation  are  to  build 
up  and  maintain,  in  the  town  of  Jacksonville,  an  institution  of  learning 
of  the  highest  class,  for  males  and  females,  to  teach  and  inculcate  the 
Christian  faith  and  morality  of  the  sacred  Scriptures,  and  for  the 
promotion  of  the  arts  and  sciences. 

The  trustees  shall  have  power  to  erect  the  necessary  buildings,  to 


CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION  61 

appoint  a  president,  professors  and  teachers,  and  other  agents  and 
officers ;  to  confer  degrees  in  the  liberal  arts  and  sciences,  and  to  do  all 
other  things  for  the  encouragement  of  religion  and  learning  which  are 
lawfully  done  by  the  most  approved  seminaries  and  colleges  in  the 
United  States. 

The  first  Board  of  Trustees  was  composed  of  Hon.  Joseph 
Morton,  President ;  Jesse  Galbraith,  Secretary ;  Joseph  J.  Cas- 
sall,  Treasurer ;  Nathan  M.  Knapp,  Andrew  J.  Kane,  William 
C.  Mallory,  Jacob  Ward,  James  Simpson,  Samuel  G.  Weag- 
ley,  Samuel  T.  Calloway,  Nimrod  Deweese,  Anderson  Fore- 
man, Joel  Headington,  Jonathan  Atkinson  and  William  W. 
Happy,  Sr.  The  Faculty  was  as  follows:  Minister  Jonathan 
Atkinson,  President,  Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek,  lecturer 
on  sacred  history  and  instructor  in  French ;  William  W. 
Happy,  Jr.,  teacher  of  mathematics  and  the  natural  sciences 
and  instructor  in  German ;  Miss  Melinda  Bond,  governess 
and  teacher  of  history,  rhetoric  and  philosophy;  William  D. 
HilHs,  teacher  of  vocal  music;  Mrs.  L.  E.  Hillis,  teacher  of 
instrumental  music. 

The  school  opened  the  first  Monday  in  October,  1854.  The 
term  was  forty  weeks  of  two  equal  semesters.  During  the 
first  year  ninety-six  pupils  were  enrolled — fifty-nine  males 
and  thirty-seven  females. 

In  addition  to  academic  courses,  the  study  of  the  Bible 
was  required  of  all  students,  and  the  president  delivered 
every  year  a  course  of  lectures  on  sacred  history. 

The  school  was  located  a  short  distance  east  of  the  town 
on  a  five-acre  campus,  a  quiet  and  beautiful  place.  The  first 
term  was  held  in  a  frame  building  located  on  one  side  of  the 
ground.  Meanwhile,  an  attractive  brick  building  was  erected. 
It  was  occupied  by  the  school  in  1855.  This  structure  now 
forms  the  east  part  of  Pasevant  Memorial  Plospital.  In 
1857  Minister  Walter  Scott  Russell  came  to  the  presidency  of 
the  college.  He  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1832,  and 
graduated  from  Bethany  College  in  1856,  and  was  a  man  of 
unquestioned  culture  and  piety.  He  was  at  that  time  the 
pastor  of  the  Jacksonville  Church  also.     While  his  sincerity 


62  HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  IN   ILLINOIS 

and  Christian  excellences  were  admitted,  he  was  a  mystic  of 
the  Samuel  Taylor  Coleridge  school  of  thought.  The  faith 
of  the  versatile  thinker  was  kaleidoscopical.  Coleridge  says 
of  himself  that  he  became  so  absorbed  in  abstract  specula- 
tion that  history,  facts,  and  even  poetry,  became  insipid  to 
him.  Mr.  Russell  became  so  attached  to  and  absorbed  in  this 
theory  that  the  Bible  as  a  revelation  from  God  became  sec- 
ondary to  the  direct  spiritual  illumination  of  the  soul  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Upon  this  theory  he  insisted.  His  teaching,  in 
both  the  college  and  the  pulpit,  was  subordinated  to  this  idea. 
Some  of  our  leading  ministers  became  the  open  advocates  of 
this  doctrine.  The  school  was  fairly  successful  for  four 
years.  But  the  mystical  teaching  of  Mr.  Russell  produced  a 
division  in  the  Jacksonville  Church  of  Christ.  This  rupture 
forced  the  discontinuance  of  the  college  forever. 

Mr.  Russell  went  into  the  service  of  the  Christian  Com- 
mission. While  caring  for  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  he  con- 
tracted disease  at  Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  from  which  he  died 
there  in  November,  1863. 

Mr.  Campbell,  speaking  to  the  students  of  Berean  College 
in  1858,  said:  **W.  S.  Russell  is  admirably  qualified  for  the 
responsible  position  he  occupies." 

MAJOR  SEMINARY 

Was  founded  by  William  T.  Major  at  Bloomington  in  1856. 
The  institution  had  long  been  in  the  heart  of  its  founder. 
It  was  first  designed  as  a  female  orphan  school.  This  aim 
was  soon  abandoned  and  the  school  became  a  seminary  for 
the  general  education  and  culture  of  young  women  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Christian  Church.  A  brick  building  five 
stories  in  height,  costing  about  $20,000,  was  erected  by  Mr. 
Major.  It  was  on  Seminary  Avenue — the  street  taking  its 
name  from  the  school — and  Lee  and  Oak  Streets.  For  a 
number  of  years  the  seminary  was  fairly  prosperous.  A 
goodly  number  of  young  women  were  helped  to  finer  ideals 
and  better  preparation  for  their  life-work.  But  tuition  fees 
were  insufficient  to  sustain  an  efficient  Faculty.    The  public 


CHRISTIAN  EDUCATION  63 

schools  grew  in  popularity,  and  coeducation  found  a  larger 
following  in  the  colleges  of  the  time.  The  attendance  of 
pupils  at  the  seminary  did  not  increase,  and  hence  the  enter- 
prise was  abandoned  in  the  later  sixties. 

SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  COLLEGE. 

In  1856  the  Presbyterian  Church  erected  a  brick  building 
for  a  college  in  Carbondale,  Illinois.  The  structure  was 
enclosed  and  partly  plastered.  The  Civil  War  killed  the 
enterprise. 

In  June,  1866,  a  convention  of  members  of  the  churches 
of  Christ  in  that  part  of  the  State  was  held  at  De  Soto. 
At  this  meeting  a  committee  was  appointed  to  negotiate  for 
the  Presbyterian  building  and  grounds  in  Carbondale.  In 
a  second  convention,  held  in  De  Soto  in  August  of  the  same 
year,  the  purchase  of  the  property  by  the  committee  was 
ratified,  a  Board  of  Trustees  was  elected,  and  Clark  Braden 
was  chosen  as  president. 

The  title  to  this  property  was  then  vested  in  Messrs.  J. 
M.  Campbell  and  D.  H.  Brush.  They  sold  it  to  these  trustees 
for  $10,000,  the  first  named  donating  $1,000  and  the  last 
named  $500  on  the  purchase  price.  Messrs.  Lysias  Heap, 
Pleasant  Pope,  B.  F.  Pope,  Frederick  Williams,  Stephen 
Blair,  E.  C.  Ford,  John  Goodall,  F.  M.  Goodall  and  S.  R. 
Hog  gave  severally  $500,  leaving  a  debt  of  $4,000. 

In  this  unfinished,  unfurnished  and  dilapidated  building, 
the  first  week  in  October,  1866,  President  Braden  opened  the 
school  with  eight  pupils.  At  the  close  of  the  first  year  155 
different  pupils  had  been  enrolled.  The  second  year,  1867-68, 
the  enrollment  went  up  to  240  pupils.  The  third  year  enroll- 
ment was  400  different  pupils,  of  whom  360  were  in  attend- 
ance at  the  spring  term.  This  was  the  largest  enrollment  of 
any  school  controlled  by  the  churches  of  Christ  up  to  that 
time. 

In  the  session  of  1869  the  Illinois  Legislature  enacted 
a  law  establishing  a  normal  school  in  that  city,  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  State,  which  would  make  the  best  dona- 


64  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

tion  to  such  school.  There  was  very  keen  competition  for 
this  institution  between  Olney,  CentraHa,  Duquoin  and  Car- 
bondale.  The  last  named  was  handicapped  by  its  location, 
being  only  forty-five  miles  from  the  southern  end  of  a  State 
that  is  four  hundred  miles  long.  The  chief  claim  of  Carbon- 
dale  was  the  great  normal  school  in  Southern  Illinois  Col- 
lege. The  city  of  Carbondale  proposed  to  purchase  this 
school  and  its  property  and  make  them  a  part  of  their  bid 
for  the  State  Normal.  The  Faculty  and  the  churches  of 
Christ  in  that  part  of  the  State  were  urged  to  unite  and 
work  for  the  location  of  the  State  school  there. 

President  Braden  and  his  wife,  in  addition  to  their 
arduous  labors  in  the  college,  had  spent  $4,600  in  finishing 
and  furnishing  the  building.  For  its  current  expenses  the 
college  had  cost  no  one  a  cent  outside  of  tuitions.  The 
interest  on  the  $4,000  indebtedness  had  not  been  paid.  At 
this  juncture  of  affairs,  in  a  meeting  of  the  trustees  and 
other  friends  of  the  college,  Mr.  Braden  urged  that  the  debt 
be  paid  off,  that  a  wing  to  the  building,  which  was  over- 
crowded, be  erected,  and  that  the  State  Normal  go  to  Olney, 
that  then  led  the  other  cities  in  the  bid.  A  goodly  number 
of  Disciples  were  in  accord  with  these  views.  Mr.  Braden 
and  his  faithful  colaborers  had  built  up  a  great  school. 
From  its  beginning,  normal  work  had  been  the  leading 
feature.  The  clock  of  time  was  striking  the  crisis-hour  of 
Southern  Illinois  College.  The  money  was  not  forthcoming, 
and  the  property  was  sold  to  the  city  of  Carbondale.  It  is 
clear  that  to  this  growing  young  college  and  its  normal 
work,  the  prime  factor  of  which  was  Clark  Braden,  the  city 
of  Carbondale  is  indebted  for  the  Southern  Illinois  Normal 
University. 

THE  BASTIAN  SEMINARY. 

In  September,  1868,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  N.  S.  Bastian  opened 
a  school  at  Sullivan.  They  were  well-educated  and  cultured 
people  and  saw  clearly  the  need  at  that  time  of  facilities 
that  would  supplement  the  limited  work  of  the  public  schools. 


CHRISTIAN    EDUCATION  65 

Possibly  there  was  not  a  high  school  in  the  State  at  that 
time — certainly  not  more  than  one  or  two.  Mr.  Bastian  had 
sold  about  one  hundred  scholarships.  These  were  to  run 
five  years,  which  was  the  life-period  of  the  institution.  The 
curriculum  included  the  studies  usually  found  in  the  small 
college  of  that  time.  In  these  there  were  enrolled  from 
fifty  to  sixty  pupils,  never  more  than  seventy-five.  The 
lower  grades  were  in  charge  of  Miss  R.  Latherman,  with 
an  average  attendance  of  sixty-five  pupils.  The  school  did 
good  work  and  exerted  a  fine  influence  in  the  town  and  on 
the  surrounding  community.  This  aim  was  most  commend- 
able. 

Mr.  Bastian  preached  for  the  Sullivan  Church  during 
this  time.  In  addition  to  all  these  duties,  the  principal  of 
the  school  and  his  wife  boarded  a  number  of  the  students  in 
their  own  home  to  help  meet  their  living  expenses.  They 
aimed  to  apply  some  of  the  receipts  from  the  school  on  the 
purchase  price  of  the  property  that  was  occupied.  Mrs. 
Bastian  before  her  marriage  was  Miss  Eunice  Jewett,  of 
Dayton,  O.  Her  father's  house  had  been  the  stopping-place 
of  many  of  the  pioneers  in  the  Restoration  movement.  She 
had  a  superior  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  and  was  a 
woman  of  fine  mental  and  social  culture.  Her  home  was 
a  charming  place.  In  addition  to  all  of  her  domestic  and 
school  responsibilities,  she  was  noted  for  her  wise  counsel, 
her  ministries  of  sympathy  to  the  forlorn  and  benevolences 
to  the  poor.  In  her  last  illness,  after  the  attending  physi- 
cian had  assured  her  that  the  end  was  near,  the  Sunday- 
school  superintendent,  not  knowing  her  condition,  came 
into  her  room  for  her  advice  about  the  children's  program. 
This  she  gave,  spoke  of  the  Lord's  promise  and  bade 
the  superintendent  a  final  good-by.  The  value  of  such  a 
woman  is  beyond  human  estimate,  and  her  influence  never 
dies. 

After  five  years  of  usefulness  the  school  closed  from  lack 
of  support.  With  rare  exceptions  is  educational  work  main- 
tained by  tuition  fees  and  infrequent  donations. 

2 


66  HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

ALMA  INDUSTRIAL  COLLEGE. 

The  thought  of  an  industrial  school  at  Alma  originated 
with  Mr.  W.  S.  Ross,  a  graduate  of  Abingdon  College,  and 
pastor  of  the  Alma  Christian  Church.  The  proposition  was 
heartily  favored  by  the  community.  Subscriptions  were 
secured.  Four  acres  of  land  were  bought,  and  a  good  two- 
story,  eight-room  frame  building  was  erected  thereon.  The 
title  to  this  property  was  vested  in  a  Board  of  Trustees.  The 
school  opened  in  September,  1896.  It  was  coeducational  and 
aimed  to  help  worthy  young  people  to  start  well  in  life. 
An  option  on  420  acres  of  land  was  secured,  and  a  printing- 
office  was  bought  and  installed  in  the  building.  The  aim 
was  to  have  the  boys  work  part  of  the  time  on  the  farm 
and  the  girls  in  the  printing-office,  and  thus  pay  part  of  their 
expenses.  In  addition  to  this  labor,  every  pupil  paid  $120 
per  annum.  This  work  and  cash  secured  for  each  and  every 
pupil  during  the  school  year  board  and  lodging,  instruction 
and  books.  Experience  proved  that  the  school  could  not  be 
maintained  on  this  financial  basis.  Appeals  for  assistance  in 
localities  from  which  the  school  was  easily  accessible  met 
with  meager  responses.  Debt  accumulated ;  hence,  in  1900, 
the  school  was  discontinued.  The  property  was  sold,  for 
public  uses,  for  $3,000,  which  was  said  to  have  been  one-half 
of  its  value.  All  debts  were  settled.  The  average  attendance 
during  the  four  years  was  about  one  hundred  per  year.  The 
men  who  served  as  head  of  the  school  or  president  were 
H.  Y.  Keller,  W.  H.  Boles,  A.  A.  Hibner,  Clark  Braden, 
W.  B.  Bedell,  P.  J.  Dickerson  and  Thomas  Munnell.  Mr. 
Munnell  died  just  before  the  final  closing  of  the  institu- 
tion. His  body  is  buried  at  Alma.  This  enterprise  was 
most  commendable. 

CHRISTIAN  COLLEGIATE  INSTITUTE. 

From  1881  to  1887  this  school,  which  was  of  seminary 
rank,  was  conducted  at  Metropolis.  The  prime  movers  in  the 
enterprise  were  Messrs.    J.    F.    McCartney,    Solomon    Tan- 


CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION  67 

hauser,  T.  S.  Stone,  M.  N.  McCartney,  William  Wright  and 
J.  M.  Elliott. 

The  sessions  were  held  in  the  old  seminary  building  that 
stood  at  the  corner  of  Katherine  and  Fifth  Streets,  opposite 
the  Christian  Church.  The  average  attendance  during  the 
period  was  sixty  pupils.  There  were  from  four  to  six  teach- 
ers employed,  whose  financial  support  was  received  from 
tuition  fees  and  personal  donations  to  the  institution. 

The  curriculum  included  a  normal  course,  English  classics, 
a  business  course  and  instruction  in  the  Bible. 

The  growing  aims  and  efforts  of  the  high  schools  in  a 
degree  took  the  ground  occupied  by  this  institute;  hence  it 
was  closed  and  the  property  sold. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   PERIOD   OF   CONQUEST. 

The   Era  of   Public   Discussions. 

There  were  two  causes  that  led  to  many  pubUc  debates 
between  representatives  of  the  Disciples  and  those  of  other 
religious  bodies.  The  first  was  the  spirit  of  controversy  that 
was  prevalent  in  most  denominations  at  the  beginning  of  the 
movement  for  the  restoration  of  the  New  Testament  church 
in  its  teachings,  its  ordinances  and  its  life.  The  sermons  of 
that  time  were  full  of  denials  and  affirmations.  Minister 
James  Leaton,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Illinois  Conference 
and  a  godly  man,  was  pastor  of  the  First  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  in  Decatur  from  1876  to  1878.  During  that 
time,  speaking  of  the  changed  spirit  of  public  discourses,  he 
said  to  some  friends:  "Fifty  years  ago,  whatever  might  be 
the  sermon  subject  and  text  of  the  average  Methodist 
preacher,  the  discourse  generally  closed  with  these  words, 
'So  you  see,  brethren,  that  Calvinism  can  not  be  true.  Let 
us  pray.'  "  Secondly,  the  preaching  of  the  Disciples  was  new 
and  strange.  They  appealed  to  the  word  of  God  as  the  sole 
and  final  authority;  others  appealed  to  their  varying  human 
creeds  and  went  to  the  Bible  for  texts  to  prove  them.  Great 
confusion  of  thought  and  statement  was  inevitable.  Party 
spirit  was  dominant,  denominational  pride  uppermost.  The 
deed  was  subordinated  to  the  creed.  Church  people  disliked 
or  even  hated  one  another  for  the  love  of  God.  The  Disci- 
ples were  sometimes  misunderstood,  sometimes  misrepre- 
sented, sometimes  condemned,  sometimes  shamelessly  and 
shockingly  slandered,  and  very  generally  counted  without  the 
circle  of  orthodoxy.     One  of  these  preachers  wrote  in  1844 

68 


THE   PERIOD   OF  CONQUEST  69 

as  follows:  "I  have  stood  here  alone  for  four  years,  a  mark 
for  sectarian  malice  to  vent  itself  against.  A  short  time 
since  I  was  pointed  out  in  a  congregation  by  one  of  the 
called  and  sent  as  'a  water-washed,  white-faced  devil,  a  wolf 
in  sheep's  clothing,  a  preacher  of  damnable  doctrines.'  "  To 
those  who  live  in  these  better  years  such  bigotry  and  base- 
ness seem  hardly  credible.  The  Disciples  were  compelled  to 
fight.  They  have  always  been  ready,  and  are  yet  v/here  cir- 
cumstances require,  to  defend  their  teachings  in  the  arena  of 
public  debate.  In  preaching  the  things  which  they  sincerely 
believe  to  be  the  word  of  God  and  the  requirements  of  our 
Lord,  their  preachers  have  many  times  clashed  with  others 
and  frequently  with  unbelievers.  The  challenges  for  public 
discussion  usually  came  from  those  who  opposed.  Their  evan- 
gelists went  often  unheralded  into  many  communities,  pro- 
claimed an  affirmative  gospel  of  assurance  and  hope,  and 
urged  the  people  to  read  the  New  Testament.  In  this  way 
thousands  were  won  to  the  knowledge  and  obedience  of  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Many  came  from  churches  to  the 
common  Christian  ground.  When  local  shepherds  beheld  such 
losses  from  their  flocks  they  were  filled  with  denominational 
fervor  and  indignation.  Feeling  fully  assured  of  the  cor- 
rectness of  their  own  doctrinal  positions  and  grieved  at  the 
losses  of  their  members  by  what  they  conceived  to  be  specious 
errors,  they  boldly  proposed  a  public  comparison  of  tenets. 
The  aims  of  the  debaters  may  not  always  have  been  single — 
the  elucidation  of  the  truth — nor  the  spirit  with  which  they 
were  conducted  most  commendable ;  but  unquestionably  they 
have  seriously  jarred  ''the  kingdom  of  the  clergy,"  broken 
up  an  incrusted  formalism,  and  stimulated  thousands  to  Bible 
reading  and  study.  It  is  illogical  and  unwise  to  condemn  a 
custom  because  its  misuse  or  abuse  is  sometimes  attended 
with  objectionable  features. 

Robert  Owen,  denying  our  Lord  and  his  religion,  openly 
defied  the  preachers  of  the  United  States  to  meet  him  in 
public  defense  of  their  teachings.  Alexander  Campbell  was 
the  only  one  to  respond.    The  eight  days'  discussion  in  Cin- 


70  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

cinnati,  Ohio,  April,  1829,  assured  the  American  people  of 
the  certainty  of  their  Christian  faith.  The  same  mighty 
champion  of  the  truth  in  January,  1837,  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
met  Mr.  ''Bishop"  Purcell,  of  the  Roman  Catholic  hierarchy, 
in  a  seven  clays'  debate.  The  book  reports  of  these  two  dis- 
cussions are  still  worthy  of  a  place  in  any  library.  Henry 
Clay  was  the  presiding  moderator  during  the  discussion  be- 
tween Mr.  Campbell  and  Minister  N.  L.  Rice  (Presbyterian), 
at  Lexington,  Kentucky,  in  1843.  After  the  close  of  this 
discussion  Mr.  Clay  said,  "Alexander  Campbell  is  the  pro- 
foundest  theologian  and  the  ablest  and  most  eloquent  debater 
of  this  age." 

The  public  discussion  of  religious  questions  has  divine 
warrant.  The  inspired  apostles  were  frequently  so  engaged. 
Jesus  himself  was  the  greatest  of  all  controversialists. 

If  additional  reasons  need  be  cited,  note  this 

CLIMAX  OF  BIGOTED  MENDACITY. 

An  Irishman  who  signed  himself  'The  Rev.  James  Shaw, 
of  the  Illinois  Conference,  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
America,"  preached  twelve  years  in  the  United  States.  At 
the  close  of  this  period  he  published  a  book  of  440  pages, 
of  which  he  was  the  author,  entitled  ''Twelve  Years  in 
America."  It  was  sold  in  London,  Dublin  and  Chicago  in 
1867.  Two  quotations  are  here  made  from  it.  They  indi- 
cate the  religious  bigotry  of  that  time,  the  mendacious  slan- 
ders of  Mr.  Shaw,  and  the  conditions  that  were  thrust  upon 
the  Disciples  and  which  they  were  compelled  to  meet.  On 
pages  164-5  he  says: 

Swedenborgians,  Tunkers,  Shakers,  Winebrennarians,  Christians 
and  Campbellites  form  the  completion  of  the  minor  unevangelical 
sects,  most  of  whom  are  immersionists  in  their  views  of  baptism. 
The  largest  of  these  sects  is  the  last  mentioned.  They  are  the  fol- 
lowers of  the  late  Alexander  Campbell,  an  Irishman  by  birth,  a  Pres- 
byterian minister  in  his  younger  days,  a  Baptist  after,  and,  lastly,  the 
founder  of  a  sect  who  are  numerous  in  the  West.  Mr.  Campbell  was 
a  fine  scholar,  an  eloquent  controversialist,  and  a  vohiminous  writer. 
He    died   a   year   ago.      His    followers    first    assumed    the    name    of 


THE   PERIOD   OF   CONQUEST  71 

Reformers,  then  Disciples,  now  Christians,  and  by  others  are  known 
as  Campbellites.  Mr.  Campbell  and  his  followers  made  an  earnest 
attack  on  the  leading  doctrines  and  institutions  of  the  churches  and 
in  their  stead  offered  to  the  people  salvation  through  imtnersion.  He 
ridiculed  the  necessity  of  a  change  of  heart,  or  the  profession  of 
the  forgiveness  of  sins  in  any  other  way  than  by  baptism.  So  easy 
a  form  of  religion  soon  took  hold  of  the  indifferent  and  the  irre- 
ligious: the  system  became  popular,  and  thousands  left  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  some  the  Presbyterian  and  others  to  join  it,  so  that  the 
denomination  is  made  up  of  nearly  all  kinds  of  isms— Unitarian,  Uni- 
versalist,  and  the  apostates  from  other  churches — the  only  bond  of 
unity  among  them  being  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins. 

Speaking  of  his  observations  at  Niantic,  Illinois,  Mr. 
Shaw  says  on  page  294: 

In  and  around  this  town  there  was  a  large  number  of  Campbellites, 
a  sect  to  whom  I  have  referred  in  Chapter  X.  on  "American  Churches." 
They  viewed  with  jealousy  the  encroachments  of  the  Methodists.  As 
they  were  generally  fond  of  controversy,  and  their  preachers  flippant 
proclaimers  of  the  "Gospel  in  the  Water,"  their  sermons  are  a  strange 
medley  of  all  sorts  of  stuff  about  salvation  by  immersion.  Their  style 
— that  of  an  auctioneer,  reserving  their  wit  and  railing  for  other 
churches,  and  their  praises  for  their  own.  Bible,  missionai-y  societies, 
Sunday  schools,  and  colleges,  received  their  loudest  denunciations. 
Things  the  most  sacred  they  ridiculed  and  institutions  the  most  solemn 
they  reviled.  The  Sabbath  they  disregarded ;  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  a 
change  of  heart,  they  laughed  at,  unless  what  was  connected  with 
immersion.  The  divinity  of  Christ  they  did  not  generally  believe  in ; 
the  personality  and  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  they  scoffed  at.  They 
were  literally  immersed  infidels,  having  little  of  the  form  or  power 
of  godliness.  Where  evangelical  churches  were  cold  and  lukewarm, 
these  prospered;  but  when  alive  and  earnest,  the  Campbellites  sank  to 
their  coverts  by  the  waters. 

Such  choice  bits  of  Christian  literature  are  rare  and 
should  not  be  lost. 

The  debates  conducted  by  the  Disciples  in  Illinois  are  a 
part  of  their  history.  It  has  been  impossible  to  secure  re- 
ports of  all,  but  the  follow^ing  named  will  indicate  in  a  fair 
degree  their  frequency,  influence  and  the  trend  of  thought 
of  the  times : 

1840.— Maurice  R.  Trimble  and  R.  U.  Newport,  of  the 
"Two-seed  Baptists,"  held  a  debate  at  Palestine. 


72  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

In  the  forties  Bushrod  W.  Henry  held  a  number  of  dis- 
cussions of  which  no  written  record  has  been  found. 

In  this  decade  Walter  P.  Bowles  held  a  discussion  with 
James  Barger,  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  at  the  Old  Union 
Church  in  DeWitt  County.  The  debate  was  reported  greatly 
to  Mr.  Bowles'  credit. 

1848. — At  Shelbyville,  George  Campbell  met  Hiram  Buck, 
of  the  M.  E.  Church. 

1852. — W.  W.  Happy  held  a  discussion  about  this  time 
with  C.  W.  Lewis,  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  at  Jersey  Prairie, 
in  Morgan  County. 

1855. — At  Franklin,  John  S.  Sweeney  debated  with  Min- 
ister W.  H.  Pellatt,  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  the  proposition 
that  we  are  justified  by  faith  only  is  a  most  wholesome  doc- 
trine and  very  full  of  comfort. 

1856. — Probably  in  this  year  John  Lindsay  debated  with 
David  Davis  the  question  of  Universalism,  at  Metamora. 

1857. — A.  D.  Fillmore  held  a  discussion  at  the  Franklin 
Church,  Edgar  County,  with  William  Shields,  a  "Hardshell 
Baptist." 

1858. — About  this  year  the  following  discussions  were 
held: 

At  Cruger,  O.  A.  Burgess  and  John  B.  Luccock,  of  the 
M.  E.  Church,  debated  the  usual  questions  of  the  time.  Mr. 
Burgess  was  then  a  young  man  and  had  never  engaged  in 
public  discussions.  Mr.  Luccock  was  fully  matured  and  had 
participated  in  thirty-one  debates  before  that  time.  He 
called  Mr.  Burgess  "a  stripling  of  a  boy,"  and  boasted  that 
he  would  "make  a  halter  and  put  it  on  the  young  colt  and 
tie  him  up."  Before  the  debate  was  over,  competent  critics 
said  that  the  halter  and  tie-up  had  been  very  effectively  ap- 
plied to  Mr.  Luccock.  He  took  pleasure  in  contemptuously 
referring  to  Mr.  Burgess  as  a  "Campbellite." 

In  Paris,  N.  S.  Bastian  debated  the  question  of  baptism 
with  J.  L.  Crane,  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  Mr.  Bastian  had 
formerly  been  a  presiding  elder  in  that  conference  and  had 
given  Mr.  Crane  his  license  to  preach. 


THE   PERIOD   OF  CONQUEST  73 

At  Mt.  Pulaski,  A.  J.  Kane  and  D.  P.  Bunn  debated  Uni- 
versalism. 

At  Pontiac,  Washington  Houston  held  a  discussion  with 
an  M.  E.  preacher. 

1859. — At  Whitehall,  J.  S.  Sweeney  debated  the  baptismal 
question  with  J.  B.  Logan,  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church.  Mr.  Logan  was  at  that  time  the  editor  of  the  lead- 
ing denominational  paper  published  in  St.  Louis.  The  dis- 
cussion was  published  in  book  form.  Its  spirit  was  fair  and 
fine  toned.  From  that  time  the  Disciples  began  to  increase 
in  that  section. 

At  Glasgow,  Mr.  Sweeney  and  Minister  Whiteside  debated 
Universalism.  Shortly  thereafter  Mr.  Whiteside  was  taken 
ill  and  sent  for  Mr.  Sweeney,  who,  being  at  the  time  in  Wis- 
consin, could  not  respond  to  the  call.  Mr.  Whiteside  re- 
canted his  Universalism,  ordered  all  his  books  and  papers 
bearing  on  Universalism  destroyed,  and  shortly  thereafter 
died. 

At  Lexington,  Benjamin  Franklin  met  J.  B.  Luccock,  who 
was  then  considered  the  champion  of  his  denomination  in 
such  affairs.  He  sent  his  challenge  to  J.  G.  Campbell,  who 
was  then  serving  the  Christian  Church  there  as  its  minister. 
Mr.  Franklin  was  chosen  as  their  representative.  People 
came  from  near  and  far.  The  interest  was  intense.  Mr. 
Franklin,  a  plain  and  homely  man,  won  the  sympathy  of  the 
unchurched  men  of  the  community,  a  considerable  number  of 
whom  arranged  a  private  purse  among  themselves  for  him. 
A  goodly  number  of  these  became  Christians  in  the  meet- 
ings that  immediately  followed  the  discussion. 

Probably  in  the  same  year  the  following  debates  were 
held: 

At  Fairbury,  O.  A.  Burgess  met  B.  F.  Underwood  in  a 
discussion  upon  materialism  and  Christianity. 

At  Lincoln,  John  Lindsay  met  J.  B.  Luccock. 

At  the  White  Oak  Grove  Church  in  McLean  County, 
James  Mitchell  debated  Universalism  with  Minister  Davis, 
of  Galesburg. 


74  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

1860. — Robert  Foster  debated  with  Daniel  Waggle,  of  the 
"Dunkard"  or  Brethren  Church,  at  Chapman's  Point,  in 
Macoupin  County.  Prior  to  this  discussion  the  Brethren  had 
held  the  sway  in  that  community.    After  it  they  held  nothing. 

Benjamin  Franklin  debated  with  D.  P.  Bunn  the  question 
of  Universalism  in  Decatur.  Mrs.  Carrie  Hostetter,  who 
heard  this  debate,  says  that  Mr.  Bunn  based  his  argument 
mainly  on  1  Cor.  15:22:  "For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so 
in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive."  When  Mr.  Franklin  had 
clearly  and  fully  replied  to  his  opponent's  arguments,  he 
would  say,  "And  now,  since  my  time  is  not  out,  I  will  preach 
you  a  sermon."  This  he  would  then  do.  Judge  A.  J.  Galla- 
gher, a  man  of  superior  judicial  temperament  and  ability,  was 
the  presiding  moderator.  After  the  smoke  of  the  battle  had 
cleared,  he  said  to  a  number  of  his  friends,  "The  Scriptures 
being  true,  hell  is  a  certainty."  Judge  W.  E.  Nelson  says, 
"The  results  of  the  discussion  were  very  satisfactory  to  us." 
From  that  time  the  Universalist  Church  in  Decatur  began  to 
decline,  and  has  long  since  disappeared  from  the  map. 

At  Waukegan,  A.  R.  Knox  discussed  the  same  subject. 
The  debate  grew  out  of  the  visits  of  a  Universalist  minister 
to  Gurnee,  where  Mr.  Knox  was  then  preaching.  After  the 
discussion  there  was  no  Universalist  society  formed  or 
church  built  at  either  Gurnee  or  W^aukegan. 

It  is  a  significant  fact  that  Universalist  churches  flour- 
ished in  most  of  the  cities  of  central  and  northern  Hlinois 
fifty  years  ago,  but  these  are  very  nearly  all  now  extinct. 

1862. — About  this  time  William  Grissom  held  a  debate 
with  a  Mormon  elder  in  Washington  Schoolhouse  near  Tpava. 
A  Methodist  minister  of  that  section  had  said  to  the  elder, 
"You  do  not  preach  the  gospel ;"  but  he  was  not  able  to  cope 
with  the  elder.  Then  Mr.  Grissom,  a  pioneer  Christian  min- 
ister, was  sent  for.  His  work  with  the  man  from  Salt  Lake 
City  was  so  thorough  that  he  was  glad  to  soon  move  on.  A 
little  time  thereafter  a  congregation  of  Christians  was  formed 
there  which  in  later  years  was  merg-ed  into  the  Ipava  Church. 

1864. — At  the  Big  Creek  Church,  in  Edgar  County,  Har- 


THE   PERIOD   OF   CONQUEST  75 

mon  Gregg  and  Marion  Brown,  a  Calvinist  Baptist,  held  a 
debate.  Among  other  things,  Mr.  Brown  affirmed  that  the 
law  of  Moses  is  as  binding  now  as  it  was  in  any  age  of  the 
world  or  on  any  people.  After  this  discussion  Mr.  Brown 
lost  the  use  of  his  reason  for  a  time.  Upon  becoming  nor- 
mal he  united  with  the  Christian  Church  and  continued  in 
the  ministry  to  the  close  of  his  life.  The  presiding  mod- 
erator, Mr.  Otis  Eldredge,  also  said  that  this  discussion  had 
led  him  to  his  Christian  conclusions. 

At  Tuscola,  David  Walk  held  a  public  discussion  with  a 
lawyer  who  was  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  Mr.  Walk 
had  held  a  meeting  there  in  1863  and  organized  a  little 
church.  He  was  opposed  by  the  three  churches  that  were 
there  at  that  time.  Returning  next  year,  he  was  compelled 
to  defend  his  teaching  in  a  public  debate.  The  Presbyterian 
preacher  was  slow  of  speech  and  the  Methodist  minister  was 
thought  not  to  be  strong  enough  for  the  contest ;  so  a  well- 
educated  and  glib-tongued  attorney  was  chosen  for  the  task. 
He  affirmed  that  sprinkling  is  Scriptural  baptism,  and  Mr. 
Walk  that  baptism  preceded  by  faith  and  repentance  is  for 
the  remission  of  sins.  ^Ir.  Walk,  before  uniting  with  the 
Disciples,  had  been  actively  engaged  in  the  Methodist  minis- 
try.   This  fact  put  ginger  into  the  meeting. 

1865. — Probably  in  this  year  David  Walk  and  Minister 
Davies,  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  held  a  discussion  at  Berlin. 

1866.— At  Richview,  Clark  Braden  and  J.  P.  Den,  of  the 
M.  E.  Church,  debated  the  question  of  baptism. 

At  the  same  place  ]\Ir.  Braden  and  Prof.  H.  V.  Spencer, 
of  McKendree  College,  held  a  discussion  on  Bible  revision. 

At  De  Soto,  Mr.^Braden  met  Jacob  Ditzler,  of  the  M.  E. 
Church.  These  men  were  two  of  the  greatest  debaters  of 
that  time.  It  was  mutually  arrangfed  to  consider  the  ques- 
tions of  baptism,  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  total 
hereditarv  depravity ;  but  Mr.  Ditzler,  for  reasons  best  kncv/n 
to  himself,  declined  to  debate  the  last  two  when  they  were 
reached. 

Dudley    Downs    and    Minister    Summerbell,    of    the    old 


76  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Christian  Denomination,  held  a  spirited  discussion  at  Gintoru 

John  C.  Reynolds  discussed  the  question  of  Universalism 
with  John  Hughes  at  Table  Grove.  It  was  about  this  time 
that  W.  K.  Pendleton  wrote:  "The  Universalists  are  full  of 
debate.  If  all  may  be  saved  anyhow,  why  bother  us  Chris- 
tians in  our  concern  to  make  certain  those  who  have  misgiv- 
ings on  the  subject?  Our  faith  can  not  cause  us  to  be  lost; 
and  it  at  least  satisfies  our  anxiety  in  this  life  to  follow  our 
own  convictions  of  duty." 

At  Bridgeport,  J.  K.  Speer  and  George  W.  Hughey,  a 
presiding  elder,  met  in  the  arena  of  discussion.  Mr.  Hughey 
was  a  man  of  commanding  personality  and  a  good  voice.  In 
this  debate  he  took  the  position  that  the  covenant  of  circum- 
cision (Gen.  17)  was  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  did  not  rest 
infant  baptism  on  the  ground  that  baptism  came  in  the  room 
of  circumcision — his  discovery.  During  this  debate  a  preacher 
of  the  M.  E.  Church  expressed  regret  that  the  Saviour  had 
used  the  word  ''baptism"  in  connection  with  his  religion. 

W.  B.  F.  Treat  and  Minister  Abbott  debated  Universal- 
ism at  Olney.  In  this  discussion  Mr.  Abbott  declared  that 
the  apostles  knew  no  more  of  grammar  than  a  ten-year-old 
boy. 

1867. — In  a  schoolhouse  near  Rural  Retreat,  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  Coles  County,  Harmon  Gregg  accepted  a  chal- 
lenge from  James  Shaw,  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  and  an  eight 
days'  discussion  followed. 

1868. — The  most  significant  discussion  of  this  year  was 
that  held  at  Atlanta  between  O.  A.  Burgess  and  Dr.  Chas. 
H.  Burrows,  a  noted  infidel. 

The  Atlanta  Christian  Church  was  feeble  at  that  time  and 
held  in  contempt  by  the  other  churches  of  the  place.  Two 
of  its  members,  Andrew  Wright  and  Jefferson  Houser, 
went  to  the  ''union"  prayer-meeting  that  was  held  the  first 
week  in  January,  and  were  met  at  the  door  of  the  M.  E. 
Church  and  requested  to  leave,  as  no  "Campbellites"  were 
wanted  in  the  meeting,  they  having  been  unanimously  voted 
out  as  arch-heretics. 


THE   PERIOD   OF   CONQUEST  77 

There  was  a  "Freethinkers"  club  at  Atlanta  which  in- 
cluded a  number  of  the  representative  men  of  the  place.  ?^Ir. 
Burrows  was  their  leader  and  champion.  For  more  than  a 
decade  he  had  traveled  and  lectured  on  Free  Thought,  Phren- 
ology, Spiritualism  and  Mesmerism.  He  boldly  assailed  the 
doctrines  of  denominationalism  and  held  out  a  standing  chal- 
lenge to  those  who  would  defend  them. 

He  first  met  in  a  public  discussion,  in  Atlanta,  Owen 
Davis,  a  farmer  and  pioneer  Baptist  preacher,  January  16-18, 
1868,  in  the  Christian  Church.  The  results  were  not  satis- 
factory to  the  Christian  people  of  the  community.  Mr. 
Davis  was  an  inferior  debater. 

Shortly  after  he  met  Minister  Orvis,  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church,  in  a  debate.  Mr.  Orvis  was  a  man  of  good 
education  and  well  informed  on  the  questions  involved,  but 
not  much  of  a  debater. 

After  this,  IMr.  Burrows,  like  Goliath  of  Oath,  defied  the 
hosts  of  Israel.  The  Freethinkers  were  exultant,  the  friends 
of  truth  and  righteousness  discouraged. 

Andrew  Wright,  father  of  J.  H.  Wright,  was  making 
wagons  in  those  days.  He  was  a  mild-mannered,  gentle- 
speaking  man,  but  counted  it  a  part  of  his  business  to 
earnestly  contend  for  the  faith  which  was  once  delivered  to 
the  saints.  This  was  his  opportunity,  and  in  the  month  of 
May  he  had  his  David,  in  the  person  of  O.  A.  Burgess,  on 
the  ground. 

Mr.  Burrows  affirmed  that  "the  Book  called  the  Bible  is 
of  human  origin  and  fallible  in  its  teachings,  and  that  Jesus 
was  nothing  more  than  a  man,  born  of  woman,  as  other 
people  are."  The  crowds  attending  were  immense,  men  com- 
ing from  other  States.  The  interest  was  intense,  the  occa- 
sion crucial.  Some  parts  of  the  discussion  were  thrilling  and 
climacteric.  In  speaking  of  the  virgin  birth  of  Jesus,  Mr. 
Burrows  said,  "It  is  impossible  for  any  father  to  swear  to 
his  own  child,"  to  which  Mr.  Burs^ess  replied,  "This  is  a  high 
compliment  to  Dr.  Burrows'  mother,"  which  so  angered  Dr. 
Burrows  and  his  followers  that  Mr.  Burgess  was  threatened 


78  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

with  some  of  the  *'hell  fire"  which  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
preaching  to  his  people. 

In  answer  Mr.  Burgess  said:  "I  suppose  you  saw  me 
going  out  through  that  window.  I  have  stood  where  bullets 
flew  thick  and  can  not  be  intimidated  by  words.  Dr.  Bur- 
rows well  knows  that  when  one  party  generalizes,  his  oppo- 
nent has  permit  to  particularize." 

John  S.  Sweeney  passed  Mr.  Burgess  a  note  which  read, 
"Give  it  to  him ;  we  are  all  here." 

The  threat  of  violence  was  dismissed,  and  this  incident 
closed,  by  Mr.  Burgess,  as  he  spoke  in.  his  lion-like  manner: 
"Bah !  a  threat.     The  last  refuge  of  a  lost  cause." 

In  speaking  of  special  Divine  Providence,  Dr.  Burrows 
said:  "I  am  an  old  infidel.  Why  does  not  God  afflict  me?" 
His  defiance  of  the  Almighty  was  blasphemous.  While 
trimming  hedge  that  season  a  thorn  punctured  his  hand, 
causing  blood  poison,  which  necessitated  several  amputations, 
and  he  was  left  with  one  arm  and  one  leg. 

Two  of  his  grandchildren  were  baptized  into  Christ  at 
Atlanta  in  1893,  and  several  since  that  time,  one  now  work- 
ing in  the  Christian  ministry. 

Mr.  Burgess,  at  the  close  of  the  discussion,  was  presented 
with  a  floral  bouquet,  by  Mrs.  J.  M.  Brooks,  for  the  Chris- 
tian women  of  Atlanta,  as  a  public  expression  of  their  appre- 
ciation of  his  impassioned  defense  of  womanly  virtue. 

Infidelity  lost  much  of  its  arrogance  in  Atlanta,  after  this. 

March  28,  1875,  at  the  age  of  fift3^-one  years  and  six 
months.  Dr.  Burrows  died  as  he  had  lived,  without  God  and 
without  hope. 

In  Duquoin,  Clark  Braden  and  R.  C.  Dennis  debated  in- 
fidelity. 

At  the  White  House,  or  Pleasant  Hill  Church,  in  Law- 
rence County,  D.  D.  Miller  and  James  McMillan  on  one  side 
debated  with  John  Mack,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  the  ques- 
tion of  baptism  and  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  No 
reason  is  given  why  two  preachers  should  have  been  pitted 
against  one. 


THE   PERIOD   OF   CONQUEST  79 

In  the  college  chapel  at  Abingdon,  Pres.  J.  W.  Butler 
conducted  a  discussion  with  Minister  Smith,  of  the  M.  E. 
Church. 

At  Westfield,  Harmon  Gregg  and  Hiram  Ashmore,  a 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  minister,  met.  Mr.  Ashmore  af- 
firmed that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  eternal  Son  of  God. 

At  Timewell,  A.  P.  Stewart  and  Minister  Yates,  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  held  a  discussion,  which  was  admirable  for 
its  fraternal  spirit. 

1869. — At  Timewell,  D.  R.  Lucas  and  Minister  Thomp- 
son, of  the  Baptist  Church,  debated  on  foreordination,  elec- 
tion and  free-will. 

It  was  probably  this  year  that  Clark  Braden  and  G.  W. 
Hughey,  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  debated  at  Vienna  on  bap- 
tism, the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  M.  E.  Discipline  and 
human  creeds. 

1870.— At  Farmer  City,  R.  B.  Roberts  and  Minister  Man- 
ford,  of  Chicago,  debated  Universalism. 

Clark  Braden  and  B.  F.  Underwood  held  a  discussion  at 
Duquoin  on  Christianity  and  materialism. 

Mr.  Braden  this  year  met  Samuel  Binns  at  Casey,  in  dis- 
cussing the  questions  of  baptism.  Mr.  Binns  was  a  minister 
of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  and  much  enjoyed 
the  sobriquet  of  *'Campbellite-killer."  But  those  whom  he 
"slew"  one  day  were  always  up  and  ready  for  the  battle  the 
next  morning. 

Theodore  Brooks  and  R.  N.  Davies,  of  the  M.  E.  Church, 
conducted  a  public  discussion  at  Mechanicsburg  about  this 
time.  Both  were  men  of  fine  mental  development.  Great 
throngs  of  people  attended.  Those  who  heard  the  debate 
still  refer  to  it  as  ''a  stem-winder." 

1871. — S.  K.  Hallam  conducted  a  discussion  at  Farmer 
City  with  C.  C.  Marston,  on  Seventh-day  Adventism. 

This  year  Clark  Braden  met  B.  F.  Underwood  twice  in 
discussing  Christianity  and  materialism — first  at  Time  and 
later  at  Bushnell. 

In  the  spring  of  this  year  G.  M.  Goode  held  a  discussion 


£0  HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

on  the  questions  of  baptism  at  Scottsville,  with  Ramsey 
Smithson,  a  presiding  elder  of  the  M.  E.  Church  South. 
In  those  days  Mr.  Goode  was  called  "the  Macoupin  boy." 
At  the  close  of  the  debate  Prof.  M.  G.  Lain,  the  presiding 
moderator  and  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  voluntarily 
gave  Mr.  Goode  a  note  assuring  him  that  his  work  was  suc- 
cessful and  satisfactory  in  every  way.  The  report  of  this, 
going  into  the  regions  round  about,  much  disquieted  Mr. 
Smithson's  friends,  so  they  demanded  that  the  discussion  be 
repeated,  that  they  might  see  how  **the  boy''  had  so  success- 
fully contended  with  a  trained  debater.  Hence  a  second 
discussion  of  the  same  questions  was  held  at  Girard  in  the 
following  July.  Mr.  Goode's  friends  were  well  pleased  with 
the  discussion  and  its  results.  His  speeches  were  logical  and 
alwavs  in  fine  spirit. 

1872.— Clark  Braden  and  B.  F.  Underwood  debated 
Christianity  and  materialism  at  Washington. 

Mr.  Braden  also  met  John  Hughes  at  La  Fayette  in  con- 
sidering LTniversalism. 

At  Dudleyville,  in  May,  Frank  Talmage  held  a  debate 
with  T.  C.  Sharp  on  baptism  and  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  This  discussion  followed  a  meeting  conducted  by  Mr. 
Talmage  at  that  place  in  which  about  sixty  persons  turned 
to  the  Lord.  Mr.  Sharp  gave  the  challenge.  His  home  at 
that  time  was  in  Mt.  Vernon.  Illinois,  where  he  was  the  pas- 
tor of  the  M.  E.  Church.  He  was  accompanied  to  the  de- 
bate by  one  of  his  leading  members,  Mr.  R.  M.  Hawley,  who, 
having  listened  to  the  discussion  with  candor,  was  then  bap- 
tized by  Mr.  Talmage. 

In  September  of  the  same  year  Mr.  Talmage  debated  at 
Greenville  with  Henry  Sharp  this  proposition:  "Christianity 
Is  an  Enemy  to  the  Best  Interests  of  Mankind."  There 
were  only  about  three  Disciples  at  Greenville  at  that  time. 
The  closing  night  of  the  discussion  Mr.  Talma,8:e  extended 
the  gospel  invitation.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  Smith,  who  re- 
sided seven  miles  away,  accepted  Jesus,  making  the  good 
confession.     Inasmuch   as   they   wished   to   be   baptized   the 


THE   PERIOD   OF   CONQUEST  81 

same  hour  of  the  night,  Hke  the  PhiUppian  jailer,  the  minis- 
ter accompanied  them  home  and  baptized  them. 

1873. — Clark  Braden  debated  infidelity  at  Bloomington 
with  C.  R.  Sanborn,  who  referred  to  himself  as  a  "Free  Con- 
gregationalist." 

1874. — In  a  Baptist  church  six  miles  east  of  Dongola,  W. 
H.  Boles  debated  Universalism  with  Matthew  Stokes.  Mr. 
Stokes  gave  up  the  battle  at  noon  on  the  second  day.  Mr. 
Boles  at  once  conducted  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  near-by 
village  of  Moscow,  which  resulted  in  fifty  accessions,  the 
formation  of  a  church  and  the  purchase  of  a  meeting-house. 
But  the  church  was  short-lived. 

At  Lovington,  C.  H.  Bliss  pitched  his  tent  and  began 
preaching  Seventh-day  Adventism.  A  Christian  minister, 
who  was  not  well  posted  in  the  sinuosities  of  this  error,  in  a 
trial  with  Mr.  Bliss  proved  unsatisfactory.  Whereupon 
Clark  Braden  was  sent  for.  He  walked  direct  from  the  rail- 
way station  to  the  tent  and  said :  ''Good  morning.  Here  are 
seven  propositions ;  you  can  take  your  choice."  It  was  agreed 
to  debate  three  of  them  and  then  decide  about  the  other 
propositions.  The  first  round  proved  quite  enough  for  Mr. 
Bliss.  During  the  discussion  Mr.  Bliss'  moderator  rose  up 
and  said,  "Mr.  Chairman,  I  rise  to  a  'pint'  of  order."  Where- 
upon a  Dr.  Collet,  who  had  a  fine  sense  of  the  ludicrous,  in- 
stantly spoke  out  so  that  all  the  audience  heard,  "Why  not 
make  it  a  quart?" 

In  this  year  an  attempted  discussion  took  place  at  St. 
Augustine  between  Minister  W.  R.  Jewell  and  a  Roman 
Catholic  priest  whose  name  is  not  recalled.  O.  A.  Burgess 
summoned  Mr.  Jewell  to  the  town  by  telegraph.  Arrange- 
ments were  soon  made  for  a  three  evenings'  debate,  each  dis- 
putant speaking  one  hour  each  evening.  The  priest  af- 
firmed that  "the  Holy  Roman  Catholic  Church  is  the  only 
true  church."  In  his  first  reply  Mr.  Jewell  used  history,  to 
which  the  priest  objected.  The  moderators  sustained  Mr. 
Jewell's  contention.  The  priest  then  became  angry,  left  the 
hall  and  did  not  return.     Mr.  Jewell  continued   for  a   few 


82  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

days  in  a  course  of  addresses  on  the  question  under  discus- 
sion. 

1875.— W.  H.  Boles  and  W.  P.  Throgmorton,  Baptist, 
held  a  discussion  at  Marion.  They  considered  "The  Direct 
Impact  of  the  Spirit,  the  Final  Perseverance  of  the  Saints 
and  the  Churches  of  Which  They  Were  Members."  These 
gentlemen  were  lifelong  neighbors  and  friends.  The  debate 
was  conducted  in  an  admirable  spirit.  Mr.  Boles  followed  it 
with  a  successful  meeting. 

1876. — In  the  summer  of  this  year  Clark  Braden  debated 
Christianity  and  materialism  with  B.  F.  Underwood  in  the 
city  of  Jacksonville.  Brethren  residing  there  proposed  to  Mr. 
Underwood  to  have  this  discussion  repeated  and  published. 
They  offered  to  pay  him  for  his  time  and  copyright.  He 
replied,  "Mr.  Henderson,  I  am  not  ready  to  publish  a  de- 
bate with  Braden." 

In  the  summer  of  1875  Col.  J.  W.  Judy,  of  Tallula, 
financed  a  tent  meeting  conducted  by  D.  R.  Lucas  in  Peters- 
burg. Before  that  the  Disciples  had  been  a  feeble  folk  there, 
but  at  the  close  of  this  effort  the  church  of  Christ  numbered 
190  members.  Before  the  close  of  the  meeting  Mr.  Lucas 
had  received  several  challenges  for  a  public  discussion.  He 
accepted  that  one  made  by  the  Presbyterians.  They  chose 
Minister  "  D.  R.  Miller,  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church,  to  represent  them.  In  the  preliminary  arrangements 
he  contended  for  three  sessions  a  day  of  two  hours  each. 
Mr.  Lucas  was  compelled  to  accept  this  condition  or  have  no 
debate.  At  the  end  of  the  fourth  day  Mr.  Miller  was  worn 
out  and  prostrated.  This  compelled  an  adjournment  of  the 
debate  for  six  months.  Then  it  was  resumed  and  finished. 
During  the  discussion  Mr.  Lucas  kept  close  to  the  Book  and 
often  repeated  the  maxim,  "Where  the  Bible  speaks,  we 
speak ;  where  the  Bible  is  silent,  we  are  silent."  In  ailfirming 
that  immersion  is  the  action  in  baptism,  he  quoted  Acts  8 :  38: 
"And  they  went  down  both  into  the  water,  both  Philip  and 
the  eunuch ;  and  he  baptized  him."  Mr.  Miller  replied :  "The 
Bible  says  baptized,  not  immersed.     Now,  what  becomes  of 


THE   PERIOD   OF  CONQUEST  83 

your  oft-repeated  maxim,  'Where  the  Bible  speaks,  we  speak.'  " 
He  rang  the  changes  on  this  quite  to  Mr.  Lucas'  confusion. 
Finally  it  was  agreed  to  leave  to  the  German  Lutheran  min- 
ister to  decide  the  meaning  of  the  Greek  word  baptidzo.  He 
reported  that  its  primary  meaning  is  "dip"  or  "immerse." 
Thus  Mr.  Lucas  recovered  his  grip  upon  the  audience. 

W.  D.  Owen  served  as  Mr.  Lucas'  moderator,  a  Mr. 
Crozier  was  Mr.  Miller's,  while  Judge  Pillsbury  presided.  A 
question  of  order  arose  relative  to  the  admission  of  a  defini- 
tion of  haptidzo  in  an  old  edition  of  Liddell  &  Scott's  lexicon 
which  the  world's  scholarship  had  compelled  those  editors  to 
omit  from  all  the  subsequent  editions  of  their  dictionary.  The 
debaters  each  made  his  statement,  followed  by  each  one's 
moderator.  Then  Judge  Pillsbury  decided  in  favor  of  Mr. 
Lucas.  At  once  a  Presbyterian  gentleman,  who  had  sandy 
hair  and  beard,  not  satisfied  with  the  decision,  arose  to  say 
a  word.  Quick  as  lightning  G.  M.  Goode,  who  sat  near  him, 
arose  and  spoke  out:  "Hold  on,  my  friend.  Bro.  Lucas  will 
take  care  of  Bro.  Miller,  Bro.  Owen  will  take  care  of  Bro. 
Crozier,  but,  my  sorrel-topped  friend,  if  you  want  anything, 
I  am  your  man."  The  hilarity  was  so  general  and  continued 
that  the  moderator  declared  an  adjournment  for  dinner. 

The  spirit  of  the  whole  community  was  changed  for  good 
by  the  debate.  On  its  last  day  Mr.  Lucas  was  invited  by 
and  took  dinner  with  a  Presbyterian  elder  who  would  not 
even  condescend  to  speak  to  him  during  the  progress  of  the 
tent  meeting.     Many  courtesies  were  shown  by  others. 

1877. — Mr.  Braden  debated  Universalism  with  John 
Hughes  at  Lewistown. 

1878. — Mr.  Braden  and  W.  F.  Jamison  held  a  discussion 
at  Salem  on  Christianity  and  materialism. 

Messrs.  Jamison,  Underwood  and  men  of  that  class  were 
public  lecturers  who  sometimes  published  infidel  papers  and 
traveled  over  the  country  sowing  seeds  of  error,  falsehood 
and  unbelief.  The  only  Christian  thing  to  do  was  to  rneet 
them  in  the  arena  of  public  discussion,  expose  their  specious 
twisters  and  present  the  irrefutable  evidences  of  divine  truth. 


84  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

1879.— J.  M.  Radcliffe  and  C.  H.  Caldwell,  Baptist,  held 
a  discussion  at  Samoth,  which  was  repeated  at  the  Seven- 
mile  Baptist  Church  in  Massac  County. 

1881. — William  Grissom  and  J.  F.  Leake,  a  Baptist,  de- 
bated the  question  of  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins,  at 
Meredosia.  Mr.  Leake  had  previously  been  affiliated  with 
the  Disciples.  During  the  discussion  he  expressed  his  regret 
several  times  that  a  stronger  man  had  not  been  chosen  to 
meet  him.  Mr.  Grissom  replied  that  his  brethren  thought  it 
unnecessary  *'to  load  a  cannon  to  shoot  a  mosquito."  A  son 
of  Mr.  Leake  is  now  the  pastor  of  the  church  of  Christ  at 
Newton,  Iowa. 

1883. — At  Blandinsville,  George  F.  Adams  and  William 
McNutt,  Baptist,  debated  the  two  following  propositions: 
*'The  Scriptures  teach  that  the  only  proper  subjects  of  bap- 
tism in  water  are  believers  in  Christ  whose  sins  are  re- 
mitted," and  "The  church  of  which  I,  G.  F.  Adams,  am  a 
member  is  identical  in  faith  and  practice  with  the  church 
founded  by  Christ  and  his  apostles."  Great  crowds  of  people 
heard  this  discussion. 

At  Cuba,  G.  F.  Adams  and  D.  D.  Swindle,  Baptist,  de- 
bated this  proposition :  "The  church  organization  of  which 
I,  D.  D.  Swindle,  stand  identified,  possesses  the  Bible  char- 
acteristics which  entitle  it  to  be  regarded  as  the  visible 
Church  or  Kingdom  of  Christ."  Mr.  Adams  affirmed  a  simi- 
lar proposition  of  the  church  of  his  fellowship.  This  dis- 
cussion was  an  intellectual  and  fraternal  treat  to  those  who 
heard  it.  Without  a  single  exception,  the  disputants  bore 
themselves  as  Christian  gentlemen  from  beginning  to  end. 
As  often  as  Mr.  Swindle  insisted  that  his  church  was  the 
church  of  Christ,  that  often  did  Mr.  Adams  reply,  "Then, 
why  do  you  refuse  to  call  it  that?" 

In  the  New  Hope  Baptist  Church,  near  Samoth,  John 
Mecoy  held  a  debate  with  Green  W.  Smith,  a  Baptist. 

1884. — T.  L.  Stipp  and  L  B.  Grandy  discussed  Univer- 
salism  at  Hoopeston.  Universalists  sent  the  challenge.  Mr. 
Stipp  was  chosen  by  the  city  ministerial  association.    He  was 


THE   PERIOD   OF   CONQUEST  85 

its  youngest  member  except  one.  A  series  of  successful 
meetings  followed  the  debate. 

1886.— U.  M.  Browder  and  F.  Smith,  of  the  M.  E. 
Church,  discussed  at  Smithfield  the  following  propositions: 
**The  Scriptures  teach  that  the  sinner  or  ungodly  is  justified 
in  the  sense  of  pardoned,  or  remission  of  sins,  by  faith  only," 
and,  ''Baptism  as  commanded  in  the  commission  is  in  order 
to  the  remission  of  past  sins."  This  discussion  was  full  of 
smartness  and  sarcasm. 

1887.— At  Samoth,  D.  L.  Kincaid  and  Green  W.  Smith, 
a  Baptist,  held  a  debate. 

1888. — In  the  New  Hope  Baptist  CKurch,  in  Massac 
County,  J.  M.  Radcliffe  and  G.  W.  Smith,  Baptist,  held  a 
discussion. 

1889. — A  discussion  was  held  at  Creal  Springs  led  by  J. 
F.  Hight  and  Robert  Huggins,  a  Christadelphian. 

T.  L.  Stipp  and  J.  T.  Pender,  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  de- 
bated the  questions  of  baptism  and  faith  alone,  at  Fisher. 

At  Bellair,  Clark  Braden  and  E.  S.  Kelley  discussed  Mor- 
monism. 

1890. — In  April  this  year,  at  McVey,  A.  C.  Layman  and 
Elder  Milliard  debated  Mormonism.  These  elders  are  ag- 
gressive and  self-assertive.  Their  entrance  into  a  community 
is  with  the  avowed  purpose  of  making  converts  to  their  faith. 
The  most  direct  method  of  defeating  their  aims  is  by  a  public 
discussion.  This  debate  was  held  in  a  large  tent  and  put  an 
end  to  their  advocacy  in  that  community. 

At  Barry,  H.  C.  Littleton  and  L.  T.  Nichols,  a  Christadel- 
phian, held  a  discussion.  At  its  close,  defeat  was  confessed, 
and  long  since  Christadelphian  theories  and  following  disap- 
peared from  that  community. 

1894. — In  the  Oakley  Avenue  Church,  in  Chicago,  Clark 
Braden  and  John  Williams  held  a  debate  on  Adventism.  Mr. 
Williams  was  the  editor  of  the  First-day  Adventist  organ. 
His  defeat  was  thorough. 

1896.— At  Birds,  S.^  C.  Hill  and  Minister  Filroe,  of  the 
M.  E.  Church,  held  a  discussion. 


86  HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES    IN   ILLINOIS 

In  the  Azotus  Baptist  Church,  in  Pope  County,  J.  F. 
Plight  and  G.  W.  Smith,  Baptist,  conducted  a  debate. 

1897.— At  Joppa,  J.  F.  Right  and  R.  H.  Pique,  of  the 
M.  E.  Church,  debated. 

And  so  did  J.  B.  Briney  and  W.  P.  Throgmorton,  Baptist, 
at  Dixon  Springs. 

In  the  West  Panther  Creek  Schoolhouse,  in  Calhoun 
County,  J.  M.  Bovee  and  J.  W.  Miller  discussed  instrumental 
music  in  public  worship. 

1898.— J.  F.  Hight  and  C.  M.  Weaver,  Primitive  Baptist, 
met  in  a  debate  at  New  Burnside. 

In  Astoria,  H.  C.  Littleton  and  M.  J.  McClure,  German 
Baptist,  discussed  trine  immersion  and  feet-washing  as  church 
ordinances.  At  its  close  the  German  Baptist  sentiment  ex- 
pressed itself  in  the  words,  *'If  we  had  known  this  man,  we 
would  have  had  a  man  from  Pennsylvania  to  lead  in  the 
debate."  The  discussion  helped  the  people  in  the  community 
to  a  better  knowledge  of  Scripture  teaching  on  these  subjects. 

At  Orchardville,  Clark  Braden  and  I.  N.  White  debated 
Mormonism.  Mr.  White  was  one  of  the  twelve  apostles  of 
the  Josephite  party. 

1899. — Mr.  Braden  led  in  the  two  debates  of  this  year; 
first,  at  Alma,  with  I.  N.  White  on  Mormonism;  second,  at 
St.  Elmo,  with  C.  H.  Bliss  on  Seventh-dayism. 

1901. — Mr.  Braden  met  Minister  Hicks  at  Nebo  in  a  com- 
parison of  the  church  of  Christ  and  the  Baptist  Church. 

1902.— Mr.  Braden  met  J.  R.  Roberts  at  Belmont  on  the 
subject  of  "Anti-ism." 

1903. — And  also  A.  P.  Roberts  at  C^lney  on  the  same 
subject. 

At  Wayne  City,  Mr.  Braden  discussed  the  questions  of 
baptism  with  D.  B.  Turney,  of  the  Protestant  Methodist 
Church.     Mr.  Turney  was  a  very  small  man. 

1908. — In  February,  at  Colfax,  J.  Fred  Jones  affirmed  in 
a  public  discussion  that  ''the  immersion  of  a  proper  subject 
in  water  is  Christian  baptism."  This  was  denied  by  U.  Y. 
Gilmer,  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 


THE   PERIOD   OF  CONQUEST  ^7 

1909.— At  Dahlgren,  W.  H.  Boles  and  J.  R.  Daley,  of 
the  Primitive  Baptists,  each  affirmed  in  a  public  debate  that 
the  church  of  which  he  is  a  member  is  the  church  of  Christ. 
Through  the  four  days  there  were  great  crowds  and  good 
nature  throughout. 

J.  F.  Wright  and  F.  M.  Lawley,  of  the  "Reorganized 
Church  of  Latter-day  Saints,"  held  a  debate  at  Tunnel  Hill. 
"The  Saints"  furnished  the  Disciples  a  boarding-place  in 
their  "temple"  near  Tunnel  Hill,  and  accorded  them  great 
respect  and  hospitality. 

In  the  same  year  these  two  men  held  another  discussion 
at  Goreville. 

1910. — W.  H.  Boles  met  Henry  Sparling,  one  of  "the 
Saints,"  at  Springerton  in  a  six  days'  debate  of  two  four- 
hour  sessions.    The  Mormons  had  a  large  church  there. 

1911. — In  the  Alt.  Pleasant  Church,  in  Massac  County, 
D.  N.  Barnett  held  a  debate  with  J.  R.  McLain,  a  Latter-day 
Saint. 

This  led  to  another  discussion  at  the  same  place  between 
J.  F.  Hight  and  Mr.  McLain. 

These  one  hundred  specific  mentions  of  public  discussions 
were  probably  not  one-half  of  the  number  in  Illinois  in 
which  the  ministers  of  the  churches  of  Christ  have  partici- 
pated. It  is  apparent  that  these  preachers  have  fought  all 
along  the  line  of  battle,  from  gross  materialism  to  instru- 
mental music  in  public  worship,  and  generally  at  such  times  and 
places  as  the  advocates  of  error  led  in  open  attacks  and  ag- 
gressive assaults  upon  the  truth.  They  have  successfully  met 
the  manifold  vagaries  of  religious  and  irreligious  thought, 
many-phased  infidelity,  Universalism,  the  dogmas  of  human 
creeds  and  Mormonism.  Every  essential  position  for  which 
they  have  contended  through  the  past  seventy-five  years  is 
now  admitted,  if  not  practically  accepted,  by  intelligent  evan- 
gelical believers.  The  Disciples  are  orthodox.  Public  debates 
have  mostly  ceased,  not  because  they  were  a  failure,  but  be- 
cause they  were  a  success. 


CHAPTER  V. 

BENEVOLENCES. 

Section    1.— State   Missionary   Activities. 

Most  of  the  pioneer  preachers  were  missionaries  sent  of 
God  and  self-supporting.  But  at  a  very  early  day  they  saw 
clearly  the  need  of  united  efforts.  At  the  close  of  a  pro- 
tracted meeting  in  Jacksonville,  in  October,  1834,  it  was 
decided  to  foster  a  co-operation  among  the  churches.  In  that 
meeting  B.  W.  Stone,  John  Rigdon,  Alexander  Reynolds, 
Josephus  Hewett,  H.  W.  Osborn,  Abner  Peeler,  Edward  D. 
Baker  and  others  participated.  John  Rigdon  was  sent  out 
as  the  evangelist  for  six  months.  This  appeal  was  made  to 
all  the  congregations  in  the  State  to  unite  in  a  voluntary 
association  for  the  spread  of  the  gospel. 

In  March,  1836,  John  T.  Jones  and  Guerdon  Gates  issued 
the  final  call  for  a  proposed  State  Meeting  in  Jacksonville 
that  fall. 

In  1839  a  State  Meeting  was  held  in  Pittsfield. 

In  1840  a  call  for  ''Our  Annual  Meeting"  to  assemble  in 
Springfield  on  Friday  before  the  fourth  Lord's  Day  in  Sep- 
tember was  signed  by  B.  W.  Stone,  John  T.  Jones,  Peter 
Hedenberg,  D.  P.  Henderson,  Henry  D.  Palmer,  William 
Davenport,  John  Rigdon,  D.  B.  Hill  and  Theophilus  Sweet. 
One  object  of  the  meeting  was  to  put  "as  many  evangelists 
in  the  field  as  possible." 

In  1842  the  Annual  Meeting  was  held  in  Springfield. 

May  18,  1843,  a  call  was  sent  out  from  Bloomington  for 
a  "State  Meeting"  to  convene  there  on  Friday  before  the 
fourth  Lord's  Day  in  August  following,  signed  by  W.  T. 
Major  and   H.   H.   Painter,    elders,    and    R.    O.    Warrener, 

evangelist.     As  stated  in  the  call,  the  objects  of  the  meeting 

an 


BENEVOLENCES  89 

were  "to  cultivate  acquaintance  with  each  other,  to  hear  of 
the  success  of  the  labors  of  our  teaching  brethren,  to  pro- 
mote brotherly  love,  advance  the  cause  of  union  among  the 
followers  of  Jesus,  and,  by  teaching  the  truths  of  the  Bible, 
edify  and  instruct  each  other  and  all  who  may  attend."  This 
meeting  was  well  attended  by  brethren  from  different 
parts  of  the  State.  Co-operation  was  considered  and  dis- 
cussed. At  its  close  J.  A.  Lindsay  and  H.  D.  Palmer  became 
the  evangelists  in  McLean  and  adjoining  counties. 

In  1845  the  State  Meeting  went  to  Pittsfield,  and  in  1848 
to  Walnut  Grove  (Eureka).  Whether  other  such  meetings 
were  held  in  the  interims,  the  extant  records  do  not  disclose. 
During  that  period  of  twenty  years  the  facilities  for  traveling 
were  limited  to  stage-coaches  and  private  conveyances ;  hence 
the  distances  were,  relatively,  far  greater  than  now.  But  the 
pioneers  made  the  journeys  with  eagerness,  for  the  "State 
Meetings"  were  occasions  of  mutual  assurance,  the  sweetest 
fellowship  and  great  joy.  They  were  a  source  of  mutual 
strength,  led  to  a  clearer  understanding  of  Scriptural  teach- 
ing and  did  much  active  missionary  work. 

In  1839  John  Rigdon  was  engaofed  as  an  evangelist  in 
the  counties  of  Adams,  Brown  and  Pike. 

The  same  year  ''Tobias  Grider  was  appointed  to  ride  as 
an  evangelist  in  Shelby  County,  where  there  were  few 
churches." 

November  20,  1842,  a  co-operation  meeting  was  held  at 
Marion  composed  of  the  representatives  of  eleven  churches 
located  in  the  counties  of  Franklin,  Gallatin,  Hardin,  Perry, 
Pope  and  Wabash.  Except  two,  those  eleven  churches  are 
extinct.     Minister  J.  M.  Mulkey  was  chairman. 

In  1850  there  was  a  co-operation  of  the  churches  in  Mor- 
gan, Scott  and  Cass  Counties,  with  Ministers  Happy  and 
Pyatt  as  evangelists.  In  April,  1851,  Benjamin  N.  Hum- 
phrey, the  corresponding  secretary  of  this  co-operation,  re- 
ported 208  additions  by  the  labors  of  Evangelists  Happy  and 
A.  McCollum. 

In  1848,  A.  D.  Northcut,  who  had  come  from  Kentucky, 


90  HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

was  employed  by  the  co-operation  of  the  churches  in  Shelby 
County  as  its  evangelist.  In  the  first  year  of  this  service  he 
added  more  than  three  hundred  people  to  the  Lord.  The 
co-operation  in  the  same  county  in  1880  planted  congrega- 
tions at  Oak  Grove  and  Mode. 

In  1851  the  churches  in  Shelby,  Moultrie  and  Macon 
Counties  were  engaged  in  co-operative  missionary  work.  The 
following  is  an  exact  transcript  from  the  minutes  of  the 
meeting : 

Proceedings  of  the  cooperative  meeting  held  at  church  called  Bethel 
meeting  house  in  Shelby  County,  State  of  Illinois.  In  complyance 
with  arrangements  made  at  a  meeting  held  on  Sand  Creek  in  the 
County  of  Shelby:  the  brethren  from  the  different  named  congrega- 
tions as  here  follows  were  in  attendance.  To  make  arrangements  for 
evangelizing  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
fifty  one.  The  (brethren)  delegates  from  six  congregations  were 
there. 

Bushrod  W.  Henry  was  made  chairman  and  Henry  Y. 
Kellar,  secretary. 

The  names  of  the  different  congregations  that  were  there  repre- 
sented were  called  for. 

1st.  West  Okaw.    Two  delegates — James  H.  Kellar,  John  Wood. 

2nd.  Sullivan.  Two  delegates — William  Kellar,  N.  F.  Higginbotham. 

3rd.  Bethel.     Two  delegates — J.  W.  Sconce,  B.  W.  Henry. 

4th.  Decatur.     One  delegate — S.  Shepherd. 

5th.  Mud  Creek.     Two  delegates — E.  Waggoner,  L.  McMorris. 

6th.  Shelbyville.     One  delegate — ^John  Page. 

It  was  suggested  that  the  meeting  adjourn  till  evening, 
hoping  for  the  arrival  of  other  delegates.  This  was  voted 
down  on  the  ground  that  "it  would  be  giving  sanction  to  a 
bad  precedent — that  was,  one  time  to  do  business  and  doing 
it  at  another."  The  co-operation  then  decided  to  do  its  work 
"in  the  weak  congregations  and  their  immediate  vicinity." 
Subscriptions  were  made  as  follows :  West  Okaw,  $60 ;  Sulli- 
van, $60:  Bethel,  $30;  Mud  Creek,  $30;  Decatur,  $50;  Shel- 
byville, $30;  total,  $260.  At  the  night  session  the  president 
suggested  two  evangelists — one  an  aged  man  and  the  other 


BENEVOLENCES  91 

a    young    man — 'Vhich    was    unanimously    concurred    in.' 
Henry  Y.  Kellar  was  chosen  as  "the  young  preacher,"  and 
"B.  W.  Henry  was  selected  as  the  senior  evangelist."     The 
co-operation  decided  to  "pay  the  evangelists  $26  a  month."^ 

In  1854  the  second  meeting  of  the  Southern  lUinois  Chris- 
tian Co-operation  was  held  at  Salem.  This  co-operation  in- 
cluded the  ten  counties  at  the  southern  end  of  the  State. 
The  same  year,  June  14,  a  district  co-operative  meeting  was 
held  at  Batavia.  In  the  sixties  there  were  county  co-opera- 
tions in  Tazewell-Mason,  Fulton  and  Iroquois.  In  1869, 
Mason  County  dropped  out  of  the  union  with  Tazewell  and 
the  latter  established  the  church  in  Pekin.  The  same  year 
the  co-operation  of  the  Northern  District  met  at  Batavia, 
November  12  and  13.  In  1881  there  were  co-operations  in  the 
counties  of  Adams,  Christian,  Champaign,  Douglas,  Logan, 
McLean,  Marshall,  Pike,  Shelby,  Tazewell,  Woodford  and 
White.  Within  a  year  five  of  these  had  died  a  natural  or 
violent  death.  These  few  facts  indicate  the  convictions  held 
and  efforts  made  to  care  for  weak  congregations  and  plant 
churches  in  new  fields  by  the  co-operation  of  counties  singly 
or  unitedly.  This  work  reached  through  about  forty  years. 
Hancock  formed  a  co-operation  of  its  churches  in  1892  and 
continues  to  hold  an  annual  meeting  in  the  fall. 

The  American  Christian  Missionary  Society  was  formed 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1849.  It  became  the  mother  of  all  the 
wider  missionary  activities  among  the  Disciples  of  Christ. 

Friday,  September  20,  1850,  the  "State  Convention  of  the 
Christian  Church  in  Illinois  began  and  held  at  Shelbyville." 
Those  present  were  J.  Atkinson,  Theophilus  Sweet,  H.  W. 
Osborn,  Jas.  A.  Lindsay,  W.  F.  M.  Arny,  A.  Kellar,  Morris 
R.  Chew,  Bushrod  W.  Henry,  Wm.  Davenport,  J.  T.  Jones, 
H.  D.  Palmer,  Wm.  T.  Major,  G.  W.  Minier,  John  M. 
Hodge,  Elijah  Vawter,  Alpheus  Brown,  James  D.  McPher- 
son,  P.  H.  Murphy  and  A.  A.  Glenn. 

These  men  were  delegates  who  represented  local  churches, 
counties  and  co-operations.  Other  congregations  were  repre- 
sented by  letters.     The  number  of  Christian  Churches  then 


92  HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

in  the  State  was  104,  with  an  aggregate  membership  of 
6,359.  During  the  year  then  closing,  l,i^o  persons  had  been 
added  to  the  churches. 

The  first  business  transacted  by  this  meeting  was  the  or- 
ganization of  "The  Bible  Society  of  the  State  of  Illinois, 
auxiliary  to  the  American  Christian  Bible  Society."  Next, 
"The  Illinois  State  Missionary  Society"  was  organized  by  the 
adoption  of  a  constitution  and  the  election  of  the  following 
officers:  President,  Henry  D.  Palmer;  Vice-Presidents,  Wm. 
T.  Major,  Harrison  W.  Osborn,  Bushrod  W.  Henry ;  Man- 
agers, Jas.  A.  Lindsay,  Morris  R.  Chew,  Wm.  Davenport,  J. 
Atkinson,  John  H.  Hodge,  John  E.  Murphy,  John  Houston, 
E.  W.  Bakewell;  Recording  Secretary,  A.  J.  Kane;  Treasurer, 
William  Lavely.  Mr.  Palmer  presided  at  this  meeting,  and 
Mr.  Vawter  served  as  secretary  the  first  day  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Mr.  Minier.  Some  sessions  of  the  convention  were 
held  in  the  M.  E.  Chapel,  and  their  pulpit  was  filled  on  Sun- 
day, September  22. 

At  nine  o'clock  that  morning  a  business-meeting  session 
was  held.  At  ten  o'clock,  three  o'clock  and  evening  public 
worship  was  conducted  in  both  chapels.  In  part  of  these 
meetings  there  were  two  sermons.  On  Monday  morning  the 
convention  heard  the  "valedictory  address  by  J.  Atkinson, 
and  adjourned  to  meet  the  next  year  at  Walnut  Grove." 

In  1852,  Mr.  Baily  D.  Dawson  was  chosen  recording  sec- 
retary and  served  eight  years  in  this  capacity.  He  is  still 
living  in  Chicago  and  has  furnished  the  writer  valuable  in- 
formation. 

In  1856,  Dr.  W.  A.  Mallory  became  State  evangelist  and 
served  in  this  capacity  till  1860. 

In  1856  the  State  was  divided  into  fourteen  missionary 
districts,  which  in  1861  were  changed  to  four  and  these  again 
to  nine  in  1864.  During  this  period  there  was  a  written  con- 
stitution, which  was  frequently  changed,  and  life  member- 
ships. Attention  and  financial  aid  were  directed  chiefly  to 
the  congregations  in  Peoria  and  Quincy.  S.  T.  Calloway  was 
corresponding  secretary  in  1858.     In  the  Annual  Meeting  of 


BENEVOLENXES  93 

1861  the  question  of  a  Students'  Aid  Fund  was  proposed,  but 
it  was  defeated  by  a  majority  as  not  germane  to  the  work  of 
the  society. 

W.  J.  Houston  served  as  corresponding  secretary  and 
evangehst  from  1860-63.  In  his  first  report,  submitted  in 
1861,  he  said  that  during  the  year  he  had  traveled  2,500 
miles,  preached  620  discourses  "with  numerous  exhortations," 
and  ''added  374  to  the  army  of  the  faithful,  principally  by 
confession  and  baptism."  For  this  superior  service  the 
society  paid  him  $800.  This  sum  included  ''one  coat  received 
at  Paris  valued  at  $12."  In  1862  he  reported  seven  hundred 
discourses  and  "many  exhortations"  and  over  eight  hundred 
additions.  "Many  new  co-operations  were  organized  during 
the  year."  That  year  three  other  evangelists  were  associated 
with  Mr.  Houston  and  their  accessions  totaled  1,349.  A 
balance  of  $90  due  on  his  first  year's  work  was  paid  him  then. 

During  this  period  the  society  held  a  few  semi-annual 
meetings,  but  they  were  soon  found  to  be  impracticable. 

John  S.  Sweeney  served  as  corresponding  secretary  and 
State  evangelist  from  1863-65,  and  his  father,  G.  E.  Sweeney, 
by  special  vote  of  the  society,  also  evangelized  under  its  au- 
thority and  auspices.  One  year  J.  S.  Sweeney  had  sixteen 
evangelists  at  work.  Mr.  Henry  C.  Latham  served  as  cor- 
responding secretary  in  1865-66,  but  with  only  office  duties. 
Minister  A.  H.  Rice  held  the  same  title,  doing  active  work 
in  the  field. 

Dudley  Down  succeeded  as  corresponding  secretary  and 
evangelist,  but  his  devoted  toil  sapped  his  energies  and  sent 
him,  within  two  years,  into  rapid  decline  and  premature 
death. 

In  1870  work  was  begun  under  the  "Louisville  Plan," 
which  was  adopted  at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  in  October,  1869. 
The  State  was  divided  into  six  missionary  districts.  This 
was  the  second  period  of  missionary  activity.  J.  C.  Reynolds 
became  corresponding  secretary  and  State  evangelist.  His 
first  task  was  to  organize  the  districts  and  develop  a  senti- 
ment that  would  sustain  an  evangelist  in  the  several  divisions. 


94  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

He  was  followed  in  this  work,  severally,  by  J.  W.  Allen, 
John  Lindsay,  W.  T.  Maiipin  and  J.  H.  Wright.  Each  did 
good  service,  aiming  and  striving  to  advance  the  Kingdom 
of  God  by  all  proper  co-operative  efforts.  Mr.  Wright  or- 
ganized the  Mt.  Morris  Church  during  his  seven  months' 
service.  There  was  only  a  little  money  that  came  to  support 
the  work  and  it  was  a  time  of  transition.  During  this  period 
E.  J.  Lampton  served  as  State  evangelist  and  dedicated  a 
mission  chapel  at  Denver  that  had  been  built  by  the  Mt. 
Pleasant  country  church,  all  in  Hancock  County.  Before  the 
close  of  the  decade  it  was  clear  that  the  "Louisville  Plan" 
would  not  be  worked  in  Illinois. 

N.  S.  Haynes  was  chosen  corresponding  secretary  and 
State  evangelist  in  1880  and  entered  actively  upon  the  work 
the  1st  of  the  following  January.  He  served  in  this  dual 
capacity  till  August,  1885,  when  he  resigned  because  one 
member  of  the  Board  of  Managers  thought  that  too  few  per- 
sons were  being  added  to  the  churches  through  the  society's 
work.  The  next  year  W.  J.  Ford  served  as  corresponding 
secretary.  But  the  convention  of  1886  returned  Mr.  Haynes 
to  this  office,  and  he  continued  as  active  manager  of  the  work 
till  August,  1891 — a  period  of  nine  years  and  eight  months. 
The  chief  aim  of  his  administration  was  a  campaign  of  edu- 
cation for  world-wide  missions.  This  was  one  of  the  chief 
needs  of  the  Disciples  in  Illinois  at  that  time.  The  Foreign 
Society  had  been  organized  only  about  five  years  and  its 
management  was  feeble.  In  1881  he  received  $44.80  for 
Foreign  Missions,  of  which  $7.35  came  from  one  of  the 
leading  churches  of  the  State!  Hence  he  laid  hold  of 
printers'  ink,  church  papers  and  all  available  preachers  for 
missionary  education.  In  the  spring  of  1883  he  mailed  copies 
of  a  printed  circular  appeal,  with  fifteen  thousand  envelopes 
for  Children's  Day,  to  260  of  the  best  Bible  schools  in  the 
State.  Some  of  the  aims  and  results  of  his  work  were  the 
following:  He  disseminated  continually  missionary  intelligence 
in  every  way  possible;  prepared  and  published  a  list  of  min- 
isters in  the  State  in  1882,  and  of  churches  in  1883,  both  by 


BENEVOLENCES  95 

counties ;  reported  the  aggregate  value  of  church  property ; 
helped  pastorless  congregations  and  ministers  without 
churches,  and  introduced  and  urged  the  co-operation  of  weak 
and  near-together  congregations  in  sustaining  pastors ;  lo- 
cated the  churches  of  the  State  and  had  a  map  made  of  the 
same ;  later  redistricted  the  State,  which  arrangement  remains 
unchanged;  introduced  the  desirability  of  parsonages  to  public 
attention,  there  being  only  about  three  in  1880 — in  1913  there 
were  131 ;  urged  continually  the  moral  and  financial  support 
of  our  colleges ;  raised  a  few  hundred  dollars  to  assist  in 
building  the  first  creditable  house  of  worship  in  Washington, 
D.  C. ;  led  in  the  formation  of  two  ministerial  institutes — the 
Central,  which  continues  to  render  helpful  service,  and  one 
in  the  Military  Tract,  which  was  permitted  to  die  years  ago ; 
organized  the  State  Encampment  in  1887,  which  continued 
twelve  years ;  helped  actively  in  founding  and  building  the 
Students'  Aid  Fund ;  increased  the  permanent  funds  from 
$455  to  above  $20,000;  and  in  1890,  at  the  request  of  Dr. 
H.  K.  Carroll,  special  agent  of  the  United  States  to  secure 
data  of  religious  bodies  for  the  eleventh  census,  prepared  and 
transmitted  to  him  a  complete  list  of  the  churches  of  Christ 
in  Illinois,  on  schedules  furnished  by  the  Government.  July 
15,  1890,  Dr.  Carroll  wrote  him,  saying:  *'I  have  received 
from  you  Schedules  687  A,  B,  C,  D,  E  and  F.  I  am  very 
much  pleased,  indeed,  with  the  work  you  have  done  so  faith- 
fully and  promptly."  The  maximum  for  his  traveling 
expenses  in  any  one  year  was  $152.68.  Comparing  1880  with 
1889,  the  remittances  from  Illinois  were  as  follows :  To  the 
Foreign  Society,  $1,007  and  $3,815;  to  the  General  Home 
Society,  $230  and  $3,534;  to  the  State  Society,  $1,690  and 
$5,847,  and  to  the  State  Sunday-school  Association,  $600  and 
$2,834.  During  the  nine  years  and  eight  months'  period, 
among  the  congre,2:atIons  organized  by  the  State  Society 
were  Champaign,  Mason  City,  Newton,  Onarga,  Roodhouse 
and  Streator,  and  among  those  fostered  were  Carbondale, 
three  in  Chicago  (Englewood,  Northside  and  Westside), 
Galesburg,  Keithsburg,  Mt.  Pulaski,  Paxton,  Pekin,  Prince- 


96  HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

ton,  Pontiac,  Rock  ford,  Sterling  and  Taylorville.  The  asso- 
ciated evangelists  during  this  period  were  Isaac  Beckelhymer, 
W.  H.  and  Marion  Boles,  T.  A.  Boyer,  A.  Campbell,  H.  C. 
Cassell,  \V.  H.  Cannon,  J.  W.  Carpenter,  J.  S.  Clements,  Jas. 
Connoran,  J.  E.  Deihl,  J.  F.  Ghormley,  E.  A.  Gilliland,  G. 
M.  Goode,  J.  J.  Harris,  G.  M.  Hoffman,  D.  W.  Honn,  D.  E. 
Hughes,  W.  A.  Ingram,  E.  J.  Lampton,  L.  M.  Linn,  Daniel 
Logan,  L.  B.  Myers,  C.  B.  Newnan,  J.  L.  Parsons,  G.  W. 
Pearl,  J.  W.  Robbins,  J.  R.  Speck,  J.  Z.  Taylor,  H.  R. 
Trickett,  J.  M.  Tenneson  and  R.  D.  Van  Buskirk.  Some  of 
these  ministers  served  in  the  continued  meeting  only,  and 
others  of  them  in  several  periods  or  years. 

Min.  G.  W.  Pearl  began  his  service  as  corresponding  secre- 
tary and  State  evangelist  Aug.  1,  1891,  and  closed  his  term 
Dec.  31,  1896.  No  change  was  made  in  any  way  in  the  con- 
duct of  the  affairs  of  the  society.  Its  work  prospered  and 
grew  steadily  in  all  lines.  His  management  was  wise.  The 
evangelists  during  this  period  were  J.  S.  Clements,  O.  W. 
Stewart,  W.  A.  Ingram,  S.  S.  Jones,  Miss  Sarah  C.  McCoy, 
C  E.  Evans,  T.  A.  Boyer,  E.  A.  GilHland,  S.  H.  Creighton, 
T.  F.  Weaver,  W.  V.  Boltz,  R.  H.  Kline,  G.  W.  Griffith,  E. 
J.  Ellis,  F.  L.  Moffitt,  J.  F.  Jones,  J.  P.  McKnight. 

J.  Fred  Jones  became  State  evangelist  and  corresponding 
secretary  Jan.  1,  1896.  In  1902  he  became  ''Field  Secretary." 
The  period  covered  by  this  survey  closes  with  June,  1913,  or 
seventeen  and  a  half  years.  He  states  "the  ideals  during  this 
period"  as  follows: 

1.  The  organization  and  support  of  new  churches  in  fruitful  fields. 

2.  The  aiding  of  weak  churches,  mainly  by  evangelistic  meetings — 
about  three  hundred  have  been  so  helped. 

3.  The   support  of  an   evangelist  in   each   district. 

4.  The  needs  of  village  and  rural  churches  have  been  emphasized 
and  the  permanent  co-operation  of  contiguous  churches  in  supporting 
pastors  has  been  urged. 

In  1896  the  secretaries  of  the  several  missionary  districts 
were  made  ex-officio  members  of  the  State  Board  and  are  so 
continued. 


BENEVOLENCES  97 

The  chief  evangelists  who  were  engaged  in  the  State  and 
district  work,  not  including  Chicago,  were  the  following:  J. 
T.  Alsup,  W.  B.  Bedall,  Isaac  Beckelhymer,  C.  H.  Berry,  R. 
Leland  Brown,  J.  H.  Beard,  D.  R.  Beboit,  R.  L.  Cartwright, 
W.  R.  Courter,  J.  D.  and  C.  B.  Dabney,  F.  L.  Dairs,  C.  E. 
Evans,  O.  M.  Eaton,  W.  A.  Green,  J.  J.  Harris,  L.  D.  Hill, 
W.  H.  Harding,  E.  M.  Harlis,  George  Hoagland,  W.  A.  In- 
gram, Gilbert  Jones,  W.  H.  Kindred,  S.  S.  Lappin,  D.  A. 
Lytle,  H.  E.  Monser,  M.  W.  Nethercutt,  E.  M.  Norton,  J.  E. 
Parker,  C.  W.  Ross,  F.  G.  Roberts,  T.  J.  Shuey,  C.  M.  Smith- 
son,  E.  O.  Sharp,  Andrew  Scott,  F.  M.  Stambaugh,  J.  E. 
Stout,  H.  L.  Veach,  K.  C.  Ventress,  J.  O.  Walton  and  J.  D. 
Williams.  Some  of  these  served  for  longer  and  others  for 
shorter  terms. 

The  more  substantial  churches  formed  were  these :  Alexis, 
Beecher  City,  Bunker  Hill,  Carlinville,  Cowden,  Fandon, 
Freeport,  Findley,  Havana,  Indianola,  Joliet,  Johnson  City, 
Kewanee,  Kinmundy,  Moline,  Monticello,  Ridge  Farm,  Rock 
Falls,  Savana,  St.  Elmo,  Tamaroa,  Tampico,  Villa  Grove  and 
West  Frankfort. 

Following  the  plan  of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society, 
the  State  Board  decided  in  1904  to  introduce  the  living-link 
feature ;  hence  the  following  churches  have  paid  $200  or  more 
per  year  for  State  mission  work.  Generally  the  congregations 
have  chosen  the  mission  points  or  weak  churches  they  have 
assisted,  and  quite  a  number  of  these  have  been  in  their  own 
cities  or  counties.  This  list  is:  Areola,  Adams  County 
churches,  Armington,  Bloomington  First  and  Second,  Cham- 
paign, Concord  (Tazewell  County),  Camp  Point,  Carthage, 
Decatur  Central,  De  Land,  Englewood  (Chicago),  Gibson 
City,  Jacksonville,  Long  Point,  Mackinaw,  Minier,  Morgan 
County  Bible  schools,  a  Niantic  brother.  Normal,  Peoria  Cen- 
tral, Pittsfield,  Paris,  Pleasantview  (Adams  County),  Quincy 
First,  Springfield  First,  and  Tazewell  County  churches. 

A  goodly  number  of  mission  points  and  weak  congrega- 
tions have  been  fostered  by  "Link"  offerings  or  appropriations 
from  the  treasury  of  the  society.     This  Hst  follows:  Anna, 


98  HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

$25 ;  Alexis,  $75 ;  Ashland,  $100 ;  Bloomington  Centennial, 
$200;  Beardstown,  $800;  Bushnell,  $200;  Carlinville,  $135; 
Chicago  Heights,  $25;  Chicago  Northside,  $50;  Cooksville, 
$100;  Delavan,  $60;  Dixon,  $225;  Decatur,  Leaftand  Avenue, 
$272;  Elgin,  $200;  Freeport,  $800;  Fulton,  $825;  Findley, 
$100;  Galesburg,  $25;  Granite  City,  $300;  Griggsville,  $230; 
Havana,  $510;  Harvey,  $250;  Hillsboro,  $900;  Jacksonville 
(negro),  $10;  JoHet  First,  $162;  Kankakee,  $400;  Kewanee, 
$2,600;  McLean,  $400;  Minonk,  $319;  Mossville,  $158;  Mo- 
line,  $1,600;  Mt.  Vernon,  $250;  Paris  Mission,  $200;  Pon- 
tiac,  $400;  Polo,  $813;  Peoria,  Howett  Street.  $810;  Prince- 
ton, $50;  Quincy  Mission,  $317;  Rock  Falls,  $230;  Rockford, 
$1,400;  Rockford  (negro),  $50;  Redmon,  $600;  Savana, 
$271  ;  Springfield,  Stewart  Avenue,  $900 ;  South  Chicago, 
$150;  Streator,  $2,265;  Tampico,  $145;  Time,  $250,  and  Villa 
Grove,  $388. 

THE    OFFICE. 

Up  to  1902  all  of  the  corresponding  secretaries  had  pro- 
vided offices  for  the  society's  work  at  their  personal  expense. 
In  that  year  an  office  was  rented  and,  through  the  generosity 
of  friends,  suitably  equipped  with  needed  furniture.  Min.  W. 
D.  Deweese  was  chosen  office  secretary  and  did  much  of  the 
necessary  printing  up  to  August,  1913.  For  several  years  he 
has  served  as  treasurer  also. 

CHRISTIAN    COADJUTORS. 

The  convention  of  1910  decided  to  employ  two  Christian 
students  in  the  State  University  at  Urbana  to  work  among 
their  fellow-students — a  young  man  among  the  men  and  a 
young  woman  among  the  women.  During  the  three  school 
years  following,  these  coadjutors  were  paid  $25  per  month — 
an  aggregate  for  the  period  of  $1,023.  Mr.  Stephen  E. 
Fisher,  for  ten  years  the  pastor  of  the  University  Place 
Christian  Church,  says: 

The  organization  of  the  men  and  women  from  Christian  Church 
homes  in  Illinois  who  attend  the  university  has  proven,  under  the  leader- 


BENEVOLENCES  99 

ship  of  these  special  helpers,  very  effective.  Committees  on  Bible-school 
work,  church  attendance,  social  life,  etc.,  are  constantly  active.  Many 
who  would  not  otherwise  do  so  hav2  been  led  to  affiliate  with  the  local 
church  actively  during  college  residence,  and  about  twenty  girls  in 
the  three  years  and  fifteen  young  men  in  the  two  years  have  been 
led  to  Christ  through  confession  and  baptism.  When  we  recall  that 
these  are  the  men  and  women  who  will  hold  the  high  places  of  power 
to-morrow  in  our  nation,  the  value  of  this  work  is  beyond  estimate. 

In  1896  the  reported  number  of  churches  was  730,  with 
an  aggregate  membership  of  95,257,  while  in  1913  the  num- 
bers given  were  692  congregations,  with  a  total  membership 
of  110,736.  The  value  of  the  houses  of  worship  and  parson- 
ages was  $4,299,710.  The  seating  capacity  of  the  buildings 
v/as  215,990.  Mr.  Jones  gave  eighteen  of  the  best  years  of 
his  life  to  this  work. 

In  addition  to  Peter  Whitmer,  IMin.  D.  R.  Van  Buskirk 
and  Dr.  George  D.  Sitherwood,  all  of  Bloomington,  as  mem- 
bers of  the  State  Board  gave  most  valuable  assistance ;  so, 
also,  has  J.  P.  Darst,  of  Peoria,  for  twenty-five  years. 

Section   2. — Independent   and   Individual   Mission   Work. 

The  Yotsuya  Mission,  Tokyo,  Japan  (W.  D.  Cunning- 
ham, Director). — In  1906,  J.  P.  Hieronymus,  a  banker  of 
Atlanta,  received  a  copy  of  the  Tokyo  Christian,  which,  he 
says,  produced  a  "spontaneous  combustion"  in  him.  'T  be- 
lieve in  both  organized  and  individual  missions,"  he  says.  Pie 
opened  an  account  in  his  bank  for  Mr.  Cunningham,  and 
since  then  has  received  and  remitted  all  sums  sent  him  for 
this  individual  mission.  In  1912  the  amount  was  $266.81, 
which  came  from  forty  givers.  He  is  pleased  to  continue  as 
forwarding  secretary.  This  mission  has  two  hundred  rope- 
holders  in  Illinois,  including  several  organizations,  each 
counted  as  one. 

W.  H.  Waggoner  was  born  in  Princeton,  III,  March  15, 
1868 — Sunday  mornine,  just  in  ti-^e  for  the  foreisfn  mission- 
ary offering-.  Educated  in  the  public  schools.  Eureka  College 
and  Yale  University.  Mr.  Waggoner  has  given  his  life  to 
lecturing  on  world-wide  missions.    He  uses  maps,  charts  and 


100         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

pictures  with  stereopticon.    He  is  a  great  sower  of  good  seed. 
His  work  receives  the  highest  commendation. 

BuRKEY-SwoRD. — Daniel  Burkey  was  reared  with  the 
Mennonites  and  united  with  the  church  of  Christ  at  New 
Bedford,  111.  He  said  to  Mr.  Sword  in  1908:  "I  Jiave 
done  little  for  the  Master's  Kingdom.  I  can  not  preach,  but 
you  can.  Go  into  the  field,  receive  what  is  paid  you,  and  I 
will  pay  you  the  balance."  The  contract  called  for  $1,500 
per  year  and  expenses.  This  arrangement  continued  four 
years.  Mr.  Sword  proved  to  be  a  very  sane  and  successful 
evangelist  and  Mr.  Burkey  found  great  joy  in  his  support. 
In  the  period  Mr.  Burkey  paid  $776  and  Mr.  Sword  received 
about  twelve  hundred  people  into  the  churches. 

Section   3. — Permanent   Funds. 

The  first  suggestion  of  a  permanent  fund  for  missionary 
work  in  Illinois  came  from  Mr.  E.  W.  Bakewell,  of  Normal. 
At  the  State  Meeting  at  Jacksonville  in  1857  he  publicly 
pledged  himself  ''to  be  one  of  eight  to  give  $100,  or  one  of 
fifty  to  give  $1,000,  within  a  year,  toward  establishing  a  per- 
manent missionary  fund."  Nothing  immediately  came  from 
this  proposition.  In  1876  the  subject  was  revived  with  the 
view  of  securing  $10,000,  the  annual  interest  from  which 
would  support  the  State  evangelist.  The  nation's  centennial 
was  thought  to  be  a  fitting  time  to  begin  the  building  of  a 
living  memorial.  The  proposition  was  presented  in  and 
indorsed  by  the  State  Convention  and  advertised  through 
church  papers  and  otherwise.  Mins.  J.  J.  Moss,  A.  H.  Trow- 
bridge and  a  few  others  gave  a  little  time  to  this  work.  The 
two  men  who  started  it  with  $100  each  in  cash  were  A.  R. 
Knox  and  John  Doyle.  In  the  early  eighties  they  were  fol- 
lowed in  like  sums  by  J.  O.  Bolin,  W.  R.  Carle,  John  V.  Dee, 
Col.  J.  W.  Judy  and  S.  H.  Anderson.  In  1880,  upon  the 
earnest  suggestion  of  Peter  Whitmer,  the  sum  to  be  raised 
was  placed  at  $13,000.  He  was  a  banker  of  Bloomins^ton, 
and  for  twenty-six  consecutive  years  the  faithful  and  efficient 
treasurer  of  this   fund.     His  annual  reports  were  his  joy. 


BENEVOLENCES  101 

The  largest  gift  from  any  one  person  came  from  the  estate 
of  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Starr,  of  Bloomington,  in  1886~$10,000. 
The  Permanent  Funds  now  aggregate  $37,504.  Of  this  sum, 
$5,400  is  in  annuity  bonds.  In  1902  the  Board  arranged  to 
issue  such  bonds.  Mrs.  Emily  Booth  Turner,  of  Quincy,  born 
in  Kentucky  in  1825  and  a  lifelong,  earnest  Christian,  gave 
to  this  fund  $2,000  on  the  annuity  bond  plan.  This  fund 
will  be  increased  within  two  years  by  $60,000  from  the 
estate  of  Thomas  E.  Bondurant.  From  the  estate  of  Dr.  J. 
H.  Breeden  nearly  $4,000  has  been  received  recently.  This 
income  from  the  regular  permanent  fund  should  pay  the  cost 
of  administration. 

students'  aid  fund. 

With  the  view  of  assisting  young  men  of  limited  means 
in  their  preparation  for  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry, 
this  fund  was  started  in  1886.  The  moneys  were  to  be 
loaned  to  approved  applicants  on  their  notes  of  hand  for 
varying  periods.  A  committee  of  three  persons  chosen  by 
the  convention  has  very  efficiently  handled  this  business 
throughout  the  twenty-seven  years.  Later  the  privileges  of 
the  fund  were  extended  equally  to  young  women  preparing 
for  special  Christian  service.  August,  1913,  this  sum  totaled 
$8,219.  From  September,  1886,  to  July,  1913,  799  loans 
were  made  to  255  students,  eleven  of  whom  were  women. 
These  loans  aggregated  $22,264.  The  results  of  this  stimu- 
lating benevolence  have  been  far-reaching.  An  application 
came  to  the  committee  years  ago  from  Frank  L.  Bowen.  He 
was  well  indorsed  by  the  church  at  Rock  Island,  but  the 
indorsers  said  frankly  that,  in  their  opinion,  it  was  question- 
able whether  the  elements  of  a  successful  preacher  were  in 
him.  The  conscientious  and  judicial  consideration  of  the 
application  placed  the  committee  ''on  the  fence."  Finally, 
J.  G.  Waggoner  said :  "Brethren,  let's  take  the  risk  and  give 
the  boy  a  chance."  Then  it  was  so  voted.  The  many  years 
of  Mr.  Bowen's  fine  ministry  justify  the  committee's  guess, 
and  he  will  know  before  whom  to  lift  his  hat. 


102 


HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 


Section   4. — State   Conventions   and   Presidents. 


DATES.       PLACES,  PRESIDENTS. 

1850  Shelbyville,  H.  D.  Palmer. 

1851  Walnut  Grove,  H.  D.  Palmer. 

1852  Abingdon.  W.  W.  Happy. 

1853  Jacksonville,  W.  W.  Happy. 

1854  Decatur,  \V.  W.  Happy. 

1855  Charleston,  W.  W.  Happy. 

1856  M  e  c  h  a  n  i  c  s  b  u  r  g,  W.  W. 

Happy. 

1857  Jacksonville.  W.  W.  Happy. 

1858  Bloomington,  W.  W.  Happy. 

1859  Lincoln.  W.  W.  Happy. 

1860  Carrollton,  W.  W.  Happy. 

1861  Eureka,  John  T.  Jones. 

1862  Abingdon.  John  T.  Jones. 

1863  Bloomington,  John  T.  Jones. 

1864  Lincoln.  John   T.  Jones. 

1865  Springfield.  John  T.  Jones. 

1866  Eureka,  John  T.  Jones. 

1867  Jacksonville,    E  n  o  s    Camp- 

bell. 

1868  Winchester,  Enos  Campbell. 

1869  Macomb,   Enos  Campbell. 

1870  Chicago.  Enos  Campbell. 

1871  Bloomington,  Enos  Campbell. 

1872  Bloomington,  Enos  Campbell. 

1873  Jacksonville,  A.  A.  Glenn. 

1874  Eureka.  J.  H.  McCullough. 

1875  Bloomington.  A.  I.  Hobbs. 

1876  Eureka.  S.  M.  Connor. 

1877  Springfield,  A.  I.  Hobbs. 

1878  Eureka,  A.  I.  Hobbs. 

1879  Princeton.  J.  W.  Allen. 

1880  Bloomington,  A.  I.  Hobbs. 

1881  Jacksonville,  N.  S.  Haynes. 


DATES.        PLACES. 


PRESIDENTS. 


1882  Macomb,  A.  J.  Thompson. 

1883  Springfield,  G.  M.  Goode. 

1884  Eureka,  S.  U.  Connor. 

1885  Eureka,  S.  M.  Connor. 

1886  Sullivan,  J.  G.  Waggoner. 

1887  Decatur,  J.  A.  Roberts. 

1888  Eureka,  Hiram  Woods. 

1889  Eureka,  A.  N.  Gilbert. 

1890  Eureka,  J.  H.  Gilliland. 

1891  Eureka,  F.  N.  Calvin. 

1892  Eureka,  A.  P.  Cobb. 

1893  Eureka,  W.  A.  Maloan. 

1894  Eureka,  W.  A.  Humphrey. 

1895  Eureka,  T.  T.  Holton. 

1896  Eureka.  L.  B.  Pickerill. 

1897  Eureka,  N.  S.  Haynes. 

1898  Eureka,  J.  H.  Hardin. 

1899  Eureka,  J.  H.  Smart. 

1900  Bloomington,  N.  S.  Haynes. 

1901  Springfield,  R.  F.  Thrapp. 

1902  Jacksonville,  W.  \\'.  Weedon. 

1903  Ei:reka.  J.  E.  Lynn. 

1904  Champaign,  W.  H.  Cannon. 

1905  Decatur,  Geo.  A.  Campbell. 

1906  Paris,  F.  W.  Burnham. 

1907  Jacksonville,     O.     W.     Law- 

rence. 

1908  Chicago,  H.  L.  Willett. 

1909  Eureka.  J.  H.  Gilliland. 

1910  Springfield,  J.  W.  Kilborn. 

1911  Danville,  J.  R.  Golden. 

1912  Centralia,  Silas  Jones. 

1913  Jacksonville,  W.  W.  Weedon. 


Section    5. — The   Christian    Woman's    Board   of    Missions. 


The  first  effective  call  to  the  women  of  the  churches  of 
Christ  in  the  United  States  to  organize  for  missionary  work 
was  issued  in  May,  1874,  by  Mrs.  Caroline  Neville  Pearre, 
then  a  resident  of  Mason  City,  Iowa.     In  God's  providence 


MRS.  O.  A.  BURGESS.  MRS.  V.  T.  LINDSAY. 

MRS.  S.  J.  CRAWFORD.  MRS.  ANNIE  E.  DAVIDSON. 

MISS.  E.  J.  DICKINSON. 
MRS.  L.  V.  PORTER.  MRS.  P.  L.  CHRISTIAN. 


BENEVOLENCES  103 

this   call   proved   to   be   bread   cast   upon   the   wide   waters. 

On  July  26,  1874,  Miss  Elmira  J,  Dickinson  organized  a 
local  woman's  missionary  society  at  Eureka — the  first  in  the 
State.  About  the  same  time  Pastor  J.  H.  McCullough  and 
wife,  of  Bloomington;  Isaac  Errett,  then  preaching  in  Chi- 
cago, and  Pastor  J.  W.  Allen,  of  Jacksonville,  formed  similar 
societies  in  the  churches  of  these  several  cities. 

The  Illinois  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions  was 
organized  by  Miss  Dickinson  at  Eureka,  Aug.  28,  1874,  at 
the  close  of  the  annual  meeting  of  the  State  Missionary 
Society.  There  were  present  about  fifty  women,  who  were 
encouraged  in  their  action  by  Mr.  John  Darst,  of  Eureka, 
and  Pastor  Ira  J.  Chase,  of  Peoria.  This  was  the  first  State 
organization  of  the  Christian  women.  It  was  their  expressed 
intention  to  become  auxiliary  to  a  national  society  which  it 
was  proposed  to  form  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  the  next  October. 
At  this  national  meeting  seventy-five  women  were  present 
from  nine  States,  ten  of  whom  were  from  Illinois.  Such 
was  the  beginning  of  a  Christian  activity  that  has  been  of 
incalculable  value  to  the  women  themselves  and  the  church 
at  large.  It  has  given  to  their  fine  minds  and  true  hearts 
worthy  ideals  and  aims,  and  has  conserved  the  spiritual  life 
of  the  churches  and  brought  thousands  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  truth  and  to  the  service  of  the  Master.  On  the  first 
Sunday  afternoon  following  the  meeting  in  Cincinnati,  Elder 
Tyra  Montgomery  formed  a  woman's  auxiliary  in  the  church 
at  Mattoon,  of  which  Mrs.  Caroline  Montgomery  was  the 
first  president. 

Miss  Dickinson  was  chosen  the  first  president  at  the  for- 
mation of  the  Illinois  Society,  and  for  a  decade  thereafter 
did  the  difficult  and  heroic  pioneer  work  that  was  needed  to 
lay  the  foundation  of  a  splendid  superstructure.  Those  who 
followed  in  the  presidency  were  Mrs.  James  Kirk,  Mrs. 
Emma  Campbell  Ewing,  Mrs.  O.  A.  Burgess,  Mrs.  Persis 
L.  Christian,  Miss  Anna  May  Hale,  Miss  Annie  E.  David- 
son, Mrs.  Carrie  F.  Zeller  and  now  Mrs.  Lura  Thompson 
Porter. 


104         HISTORY  OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

The  corresponding  secretaries  have  been  Mrs.  Ella  Myers 
Huffman,  Mrs.  Happy,  Mrs.  M.  M.  Lindsay,  Mrs.  J.  G. 
Waggoner,  Miss  Lura  V.  Thompson  (two  terms),  Miss 
Rachael  Crouch,  Miss  Gussie  Courson  and  Miss  Anna  M. 
Hale. 

The  treasurers  in  their  order  of  service  were  Mrs.  John 
Darst,  Mrs.  H.  W.  Everest,  Mrs.  Cassell,  Mrs.  M.  B.  Hawk, 
Mrs.  S.  J.  Crawford,  Miss  Clara  L.  Davidson  and  now  Miss 
Henrietta  Clark. 

The  superintendents  of  the  Young  People's  Department 
were  Miss  Frank  Haynes,  Miss  Annie  E.  Davidson,  Miss 
Gussie  Courson,  Miss  Minnie  Dennis,  Miss  Lola  V.  Hale, 
Miss  Irene  Ridgely,  Miss  Clara  B.  Griffin,  Miss  Dora 
Gutherie  and  now  Miss  Effie  L.  Gaddis. 

Miss  Dickinson  gave  the  society,  in  various  official  capaci- 
ties, about  thirty  years  of  service;  Mrs.  S.  J.  Crawford  was 
treasurer  twenty-two  years;  Miss  Annie  E.  Davidson  in  a 
dual  capacity  fourteen  years,  and  Mrs.  Porter  fifteen  years — 
to  September,  1913.  Twelve  of  the  women  above  named 
have  been  "field  workers ;"  that  is,  they  have  gone  through 
the  State  as  educators  and  organizers.  It  may  be  truthfully 
said  that  all  of  these  women  in  every  official  position  have 
done  their  best ;  hence  the  work  has  grown  steadily  from  its 
beginning.  The  pioneers  in  this  movement  overcame,  by 
their  Christlike  devotion,  uninformed  indifference  and  out- 
spoken prejudice  and  opposition,  and  they  merit  the  greater 
honor.  At  the  first  meeting  in  1874  there  was  "a  collection 
taken  of  $5.41  for  the  State  development ;"  the  total  offerings 
for  the  year  closing  with  June,  1913,  were  $24,392.  Starting 
with  nothing  save  prayer,  purpose  and  promise,  the  auxil- 
iaries and  circles  reported  at  the  same  time  were  266,  with 
a  membership  of  6.277. 

In  January,  1901,  a  State  paper  was  started  to  help  in 
this  work.  It  was  called  The  Illinois  Quarterly,  but  became 
Mission  Leaves  in  1906.  It  was  first  issued  from  Athens, 
with  Miss  Anna  M.  Hale  as  editor;  in  1904  from  Eureka, 
with  Miss  Annie  E.  Davidson  as  editor,  and  in  1909,  first 


BENEVOLENCES  105 

from  Cuba,  then  from  Petersburg,  with  Mrs.  Carrie  F.  Zeller 
as  editor — to  August,  1913.  There  were  eighteen  hundred 
of  these  Leaves  then  in  circulation. 

The  headquarters  of  the  society  have  been  Eureka  for 
two  periods,  Jacksonville  and  Springfield.  The  office  is  now 
in  the  First  Christian  Church  there,  and  Mission  Leaves  will 
be  issued  from  that  city.  Miss  Jennie  Call  is  the  editor  and 
is  also  the  corresponding  secretary. 

This  movement  owes  much  to  Illinois.  Its  mother,  Mrs. 
Pearre,  was  trained  in  this  State.  So  also  was  Mrs.  Burgess, 
whose  superior  administrative  ability  kept  her  in  the  presi- 
dency of  the  national  society  ten  years.  Mrs.  Christian,  who 
was  known  as  a  ''queen  of  the  platform,"  and  who  traveled 
ten  years  through  the  nation  in  the  advocacy  of  this  work, 
was  a  product  of  Illinois.  Aliss  Dickinson,  who  was  first  in 
self-sacrifice,  suggested  the  thought  of  a  missionary  training- 
school.  And  this  was  actualized  through  the  munificence  of 
Mrs.  Maude  Detterding  Ferris,  a  fair  daughter  of  the 
Prairie  State. 

The  total  receipts  of  the  National  C.  W.  B.  M.  for  the 
year  ending  September,  1913,  were  $358,944.  This  society 
has  in  its  employ  518  men  and  women,  who  are  at  work  in 
the  United  States,  western  Canada,  Mexico,  Jamaica,  Porto 
Rico,  South  America,  New  Zealand,  India,  China  and  Africa. 

Section  6. — Christian   Home  for  the  Aged. 

This  Home  is  located  at  873  Grove  Street  in  Jacksonville. 
It  is  a  two-story  brick,  modern  building,  with  forty  rooms, 
that  stands  on  a  beautiful  lot  of  two  and  a  half  acres.  It  is 
the  property  of  the  National  Benevolent  Association  and  was 
bought  in  1900  at  a  cost  of  $6,500.  This  money  was  fur- 
nished by  Mr.  John  Loar,  Mrs.  Nancy  Henderson  and  Mrs. 
Lou  Deweese  Kaiser — all  members  of  the  Jacksonville 
Church.  The  two  women  have  passed  to  the  life  eternal. 
Since  then  a  large  addition  was  built  to  it.  There  are  thirty 
rooms  for  the  inmates,  who  are  mostly  women.  Since  its 
opening;  there  have  been  seventy-eight  of  these.    It  has  always 


106         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

been  full,  with  a  number  on  the  waiting  list.  The  annual 
current  expenses  amount  to  $6,000,  which  is  paid  from  the 
offerings  made  at  large  to  the  National  Benevolent  Associa- 
tion. Admission  is  limited  to  members  of  the  Christian 
Church.  The  Home  is  a  credit  to  the  Disciples  of  Christ 
and  most  worthy  of  their  support.  Mrs.  Mary  B.  Thorn- 
berry  is  the  present  esteemed  and  capable  matron. 

Section    7. — Chicago   Missionary    Society. 

Atty.  Milton  O.  Naramore  furnishes  the  following  con- 
cise data:  The  Missionary  Society  was  organized  in  the 
parlor  of  old  Farwell  Hall  in  1887.  The  Christian  Churches 
in  the  city  at  that  time  were  the  West  Side  (now  Jackson 
Blvd.),  Indiana  Avenue,  Englewood  and  the  North  Side  (now 
Sheffield  Ave.)  and  a  few  missions.  Those  present  at  the 
meeting  were  Dr.  W.  A.  Belding,  Geo.  F.  Childs,  W.  G. 
Morris,  W.  P.  Keeler  and  some  of  the  following,  who  earn- 
estly promoted  the  co-operation  from  the  first;  namely,  Mins. 
J.  W.  Allen  and  Blackwell;  A.  A.  Devore,  who  served  as 
president  for  several  years ;  A.  Larabee,  C.  C.  Chapman,  J. 
G.  Hester  and  H.  H.  Hubard.  Of  all  these,  W.  P.  Keeler 
was  actively  identified  with  the  society  from  the  beginning, 
has  given  more  years  of  faithful  service  than  any  other,  and 
is  still  zealous  for  its  usefulness.  He  was  a  native  of  Dan- 
bury,  Connecticut.  About  1855  the  family  home  was  where 
the  Great  Northern  Hotel  now  stands.  Chicago  has  been  his 
place  of  residence  ever  since.  In  1899  the  society  was  reor- 
ganized and  incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  "Chicago 
Christian  Missionary  Society."  Under  the  constitution  then 
adopted  the  society  became  a  representative  body  consisting 
of  delegates  elected  annually  by  the  several  churches  of 
Christ  in  Chicago  and  Cook  County.  The  first  officers  were: 
J.  H.  O.  Smith,  President;  E.  A.  Orr,  Vice-President;  E. 
M.  Bowman,  Recording  Secretary;  J.  C.  Lindsay,  Corre- 
sponding Secretary:  Carl  Bushnell,  Treasurer;  E.  W.  Darst, 
Superintendent  of  Missions,  and  A.  Larabee,  Assistant  Super- 
intendent.    Besides   these,   an   executive  board   of   seven   is 


W.  p.  KEELER. 
J.  S.  SWAFORD. 
C.  J.  HUDSON. 


E.   W.   DARST. 


M.  O.   NARAMORE. 
E.  M.   BOWMAN. 
E.   B.   WITWER. 


BENEVOLENCES  107 

elected  annually,  to  which  is  committed  the  entire  business 
of  the  society.  The  first  board  was  composed  of  Milton  O. 
Naramore,  Chairman ;  E.  AI.  Bowman,  Secretary ;  W.  P. 
Keeler,  E.  B.  Witwer,  Carl  Bushnell,  Charles  J.  iludson  and 
J.  W.  Swaford. 

One  of  the  most  effective  means  of  arousing  the  churches 
to  the  needs  of  city  missions  was  the  plan  inaugurated  by 
this  board  of  holding  quarterly  rallies  of  all  the  congrega- 
tions, at  some  central  place  on  Sunday  afternoons.  The  first 
of  these  was  held  at  Kimball  Hall,  on  Wabash  Avenue,  near 
Jackson,  in  February,  1900.     This  plan  is  still  continued. 

Under  the  leadership  of  E.  W.  Darst,  a  tireless  and 
devoted  teacher  of  the  gospel,  city-mission  work  in  Chicago 
moved  forward  with  new  life.  In  the  few  years  he  gave  to 
this  service,  and  during  which  he  laid  his  own  life  on  this 
altar,  he  fully  proved  the  efficiency  of  this  method.  Most  of 
the  new  churches  of  recent  years  stand  as  monuments  to 
his  wisdom  and  consecration.  No  great  enterprise  goes 
forward  without  a  competent  leader.  Mr.  Darst  retired  only 
wdien  his  failing  health  compelled.  His  life  closed  in  a  few 
years. 

He  was  succeeded  by  W.  B.  Taylor,  who  was  also  an 
indefatigable  servant  of  Christ.  During  his  term  of  service 
the  plan  of  aggressive  work  in  building  up  new  missions 
through  a  superintendent  was  changed.  Upon  his  retirement 
Asst.  Supt.  A.  Larabee  was  given  charge  of  this  work,  and 
continued  therein  till  the  close  of  his  life.  His  Hfe  and  work 
are  held  in  tender  and  grateful  remembrance. 

In  addition  to  the  contributions  of  the  Chicago  churches, 
the  work  of  this  society  has  been  financially  helped  by  the 
American  Christian  Missionary  Society,  the  Illinois  Mission- 
ary Society  and  the  National  and  State  C.  W.  B.  M. 

O.  F.  Jordan  has  been  the  faithful  and  efficient  secretary 
of  this  society  for  five  years.  He  has  aimed  to  secure  and 
present  annually  a  tabulated  report  of  the  churches  of  Christ 
in  Cook  County,  thus  giving  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  growth 
of  the  Disciples  therein. 


108  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Section  8.— The  Chicago  Union  of  Auxiliaries  to  C.  W.  B.  M. 

This  society  was  organized  in  1894.  Its  object  was  to 
promote  the  special  work  of  missions  as  represented  by  the 
C.  W.  B.  M.  The  union  has  grown  from  seven  auxiUaries 
with  about  fifty  members  to  twenty-two  auxiliaries  and  circles 
with  a  membership  of  547.  The  quarterly  meetings  of  this 
union  for  twenty  years  have  been  very  helpful  to  the  indi- 
vidual women,  to  the  local  auxiliaries  and  to  the  congrega- 
tions with  which  they  are  connected.  The  Chicago  Union 
has  always  responded  loyally  to  all  calls  of  the  National  C. 
W.  B.  M.,  and  it  has  co-operated  actively  with  the  General 
Home  Society  and  the  City  Mission  Board  in  organizing  and 
sustaining  missions  in  Chicago,  thus  helping  to  unitize  this 
great  work.  In  1913  the  Chicago  auxiliaries  raised  and  paid 
for  their  special  work,  $2,261. 

For  a  number  of  years  the  National  C.  W.  B.  M.  has 
paid  $1,200  for  mission  work  in  Chicago. 


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CHAPTER  VI. 

LOCAL   CHURCHES   AND    SOME   OF   THEIR   ORGANIZED 
ACTIVITIES. 

Section    1. 

The    Churches. 

ALEXANDER    COUNTY. 

The  confluence  of  great  rivers  seems  to  impress  people 
with  a  migratory  disposition.  The  incHnation  is  to  move  on. 
In  addition  to  this,  the  southern  extremity  of  the  State  has 
been  subjected  to  the  dangers  and  vicissitudes  of  great  floods. 
Besides,  those  who  laid  out  and  lotted  the  town  were  actuated 
mainly  by  a  selfish,  mercenary  spirit.  The  influences  have 
combined  to  keep  most  of  its  denizens  in  a  state  of  continual 
flux.  So  Disciples  have  come  to  Cairo  and  gone  away 
through  the  decades. 

Cairo  First. 

Organized  1866,  by  G.  G.  Mullins ;  present  membership, 
157;  value  of  property,  $20,000;  Bible  school  began  1866; 
present  enrollment,  93. 

Mr.  Mullins  was  a  chaplain  in  the  Federal  Army.  The 
Disciples  in  Cairo  had  occasional  meetings  before  the  Civil 
War.  At  the  date  of  organization,  so  far  as  can  be  learned, 
the  following  were  the  charter  members :  Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  R. 
Hay,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  B.  Fenton,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Prussia  Mor- 
rison, Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCauly,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trambo,  J.  C. 
Talbot,  Robert  Condifif,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Clark,  Mrs.  White, 
Mrs.  Brown,  Mrs.  Gilkey,  Mrs.  Henderson,  Mrs.  Seely,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Layton,  Miss  Gilkey,  Miss  Smith  and  Mrs.  Wilson. 
S.  R.  Hay  and  A.  B.  Fenton  were  chosen  as  elders  and  J.  C. 
Talbot  and  Robert  CondiflF,  deacons. 

Meetings  for  public  worship  were  held  in  the  courthouse 

109 


no  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

until  the  county  clerk  turned  them  out.  The  erection  of  a 
building  on  Eighteenth  Street,  between  Washington  and 
Walnut,  was  then  begun.  Lack  of  funds  delayed  its  com- 
pletion for  two  years,  but  occasional  meetings  were  held 
meanwhile  therein,  seated  with  planks  held  on  boxes  and 
blocks.  In  1867  a  successful  union  Sunday  school  was  held 
in  the  courthouse  until  the  county  clerk  turned  it  into  the 
street.  This  houseless  school  hastened  the  finishing  of  the 
chapel  on  Eighteenth  Street.  It  was  completed  in  1868.  In 
1894  this  chapel  was  moved  to  the  corner  of  Sixteenth  and 
Poplar  Streets.  These  lots  were  filled  up  by  the  ladies'  aid 
society.  The  building  was  repaired  in  1901.  During  its 
entire  life  the  school  has  had  struggles,  occasional  successes 
with  frequent  failures  and  not  a  few  discouragements. 
Always  there  has  been  '*a  remnant  according  to  the  election 
of  grace."  S.  R.  Hay,  A.  B.  Fenton,  G.  M.  Alden  and  J.  C. 
Talbot  deserve  to  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance  for  their 
sacrifices  and  faithfulness. 

More  than  forty  ministers  have  served  the  church.  Some 
of  the  earlier  were  Peter  \'ogel,  T.  W.  Caskey,  B.  F. 
]\Ianire,  J.  C.  Mason,  David  Walk,  Alfred  Flower  and  Clark 
Braden,  whose  term  was  particularly  helpful.  The  present 
building  was  erected  during  the  pastorate  of  Frank  Thomp- 
son.    Alden  R.  Wallace  is  now  the  pastor. 

Cairo  Second. 

Organized  1908:  present  membership,  .SI;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $300:  Bible-school  enrollment,  82. 

In  June,  1908,  forty-four  members  of  the  First  Church 
signed  a  paper  in  which  they  expressed  the  belief  that  the 
time  had  come  to  establish  a  church  of  Christ  north  of 
Twenty-eighth  Street,  and  thereby  agreed  to  unite  in  this  aim. 
Officers  were  elected.  The  meetings  for  public  worship  have 
been  held  in  a  public  hall  and  a  store  building.  The  preach- 
ing has  been  done  mainly  by  transient  preachers.  Floods 
from  the  great  rivers  have  very  seriously  handicapped  the 
work  of  the  churches  here. 


CHURCHES  111 

ADAMS    COUNTY. 

Antioch  (Golden). 

Organized  1843 ;  present  membership,  36 ;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1877;  present  enrollment,  76. 

This  congregation  was  formed  as  the  Big  Neck  Church 
of  Christ,  April  16.  There  were  six  charter  members ; 
namely,  H.  A.  Cyrus,  A.  R.  Hagerty,  Joseph,  Nancy  and 
Margaret  Craig  and  Mary  Ann  Thompson.  A  reorganiza- 
tion was  made  in  1870  by  Min.  William  Grissom,  from 
which  time  it  has  been  called  Antioch.  The  first  church 
house  was  built  in  1877,  which  served  till  1913,  when  a  more 
suitable  structure  was  occupied.  It  is  five  miles  south  and 
one  west  of  Bowen. 

Camp  Point. 

Organized  1865,  by  Joseph  Lowe;  present  membership, 
458;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $19,000;  Bible 
school  began  1866;  present  enrollment,  ZZ7. 

Organized  in  a  near-by  schoolhouse.  Built  first  house 
in  1866;  the  second  is  a  modern  structure  and  was  finished 
in  1912,  during  the  pastorate  of  W.  J.  Reynolds,  who  served 
this  church  ten  years. 

There  were  thirty-five  charter  members,  among  them 
Joseph  Lowe,  R.  H.  Routh,  J.  W.  Miller  and  Dr.  S.  G. 
Moore,  who  were  the  elders,  and  T.  G.  Odell  and  G.  M. 
Hess,  deacons. 

The  men  given  to  the  ministry  were  Walter  Kline,  Ivan 
Omer  and  Frank  S.  Booth. 

Clayton. 

Present  membership,  187;  value  of  property,  $6,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  102. 

Coatshurg. 

Present  membership,  35;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  50. 


112         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

Columbus, 

Organized  1844;  present  membership,  151;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1881;  present  membership, 
150. 

There  were  no  records  before  1857. 

The  church  has  given  Fred  Meadows  and  James  A.  Seaton 
to  the  ministry. 

Fowler. 

Organized  1861,  by  Dr.  William  Hatch;  present  member- 
ship, 36;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $2,900; 
Bible  school  began  1896;  present  enrollment,  33. 

The  church  does  good  work. 

Kellerville. 
Present  membership,  54;  value  of  property,  $1,000. 
Liberty. 

Organized  1852,  by  Ziby  Brown ;  present  membership, 
177;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1862; 
present  enrollment,  72. 

This  congregation  grew  out  of  a  series  of  meetings  con- 
ducted by  Min.  Ziby  Brown,  in  which  he  very  successfully 
met  the  opposition  of  Romanists  and  other  sectarians.  The 
charter  members  were  Jacob  and  Anna  Connor,  E.  B.,  Solo- 
mon and  Jane  M.  Rhodes,  George  Pond,  George  Benfield, 
James  R.  and  Elizabeth  Howerton,  Phoebe  A.  Vanderlip,  Levi 
and  Phoebe  Traver,  Lovena  C.  Grubb,  Rosena  and  Elizabeth 
Vanderlip,  Lydia  and  Rebecca  Benfield,  Hannah  Meacham, 
James  and  Margaret  J.  Dunlap,  Nancy  A.  Malone,  Jason  and 
Mrs.  Barnard ;  Ira,  Susanah,  Samuel,  Rebecca  and  Eliza- 
beth Kimmons ;  Elizabeth  Hunsaker,  Susanah  and  Mary  E. 
Titus,  Eliza  Malone,  and  Erastus  and  Euphrazina  Rice.  The 
organization  was  made  in  the  brick  schoolhouse.  Min.  Elijah 
L.  Craig  presided. 


CHURCHES  113 

Immediately  following  the  formation  of  the  church,  Mr. 
Bond,  an  M.  E.  minister,  challenged  Mr.  Brown  for  a  public 
discussion.  He  was  accommodated.  Later  the  M.  E.  Church 
disappeared  from  that  village.  More  than  twenty  ministers 
have  served  the  congregation.  Ihe  first  house  of  worship 
was  built  in  1853  and  the  second  was  occupied  in  1907. 

Lima, 

Organized  1830,  by  John  B.  Curl ;  present  membership, 
110;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible  school  began  1898; 
present  enrollment,  51. 

Loraine. 

Organized  1892,  by  S.  S.  Jones;  present  membership,  310; 
value  of  property,  $12,000;  Bible  school  began  1892;  present 
enrollment,  191. 

There  were  120  charter  members.  Fifteen  pastors  have 
served  the  church.  The  first  building  was  erected  in  1892. 
This  gave  place  to  a  modern  structure  in  1908. 

Marcellcne. 

Organized  1879;  present  membership,  50;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1879;  present  enrollment,  72. 

Mill  Creek   (Mendon). 

Present  membership,  25;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  20. 

Mound  Prairie   (Beverly). 

Present  membership,  90;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  30. 

Mount  Hebron   (Mendon). 

Present  membership,  30;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  20. 


114  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Payson. 

Organized  1868,  by  J.  H.  Hughes;  present  membership, 
125;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $4,600;  Bible 
school  began  1866. 

The  church  has  given  Louis  Cupp,  O.  W.  Lamonte  and 
O.  W.  Lawrence  to  the  ministry. 

Pleasant  Viciv  (Camp  Point). 

Organized  1835,  by  David  Hobbs;  present  membership, 
S3;  value   of  property,   $3,000;   Bible-school   enrollment,   65. 

The  location  is  three  miles  southeast  of  Camp  Point. 
Some  say  the  church  was  organized  by  John  Ambrose,  but 
the  more  probable  name  is  given.  Among  the  charter  mem- 
bers there  were  John  Ambrose,  Nancy  Foster,  David,  Char- 
lotte, Nicholas  and  Elizabeth  Hobbs,  Rodney  and  Rhoda 
Burnham,  Daniel  and  Lucy  Walker.  Meetings  were  held  in 
the  residences  and  schoolhouse  till  1848,  when  a  chapel  was 
built.  The  first  pastor  was  T.  J.  Matlock,  who  served  in 
1849.  The  church  has  done  good  work  through  its  seventy- 
eight  years.  It  has  given  to  the  ministry  Elmer,  William  and 
Joseph  Lowe  and  R.  A.  Omer. 

Quincy  First. 

Present  membership,  530;  value  of  property,  $25,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  400. 

Min.  Livy  Hatchett,  of  Warren  County,  visited  Quincy 
in  1840.  There  and  then  he  met  Jacob  Creath,  of  Missouri, 
who  addressed  the  citizens  with  great  ability.  Though  none 
made  the  good  confession,  some  united  with  us  who  were  for- 
merly Baptists — the  wife  of  Governor  Carlin  and  a  Sister 
Turner.  Evidently  the  church  was  formed  before  1840.  In 
1844  Mr.  Creath  reported  that  his  meetings  in  Quincy  had 
been  much  disturbed  by  military  maneuvers  connected  with 
the  Mormon  riots  at  Nauvoo.  Min.  Patrick  Murphy  became 
the  first  pastor  in  1850,  when  there  were  only  twenty  mem- 
bers.    Shortly  thereafter  the  chapel  of  the   M.   E.   Church 


CHURCHES  115 

South  was  bought.  It  stood  on  Fourth  Street,  between  Jer- 
sey and  York  Streets.  This  was  used  until  the  present  build- 
ing on  Broadway  and  Ninth  Streets  was  erected.  Following 
Mr.  Murphy,  the  church  was  served  bv  Mins.  Simms,  D.  R. 
Howe,  J.  H.  McCollough,  H.  D.  Clark,  J.  T.  Toof,  F.  N. 
Calvin  and  others.     Governor  Carlin  was  a  member  here. 

Qiiincy  (East  End). 

Present  membership,  71 ;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  141. 

This  mission  has  been  fostered  by  the  State  Society. 

Richfield   (Plainville). 

Present  membership,  20;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  20. 

Ursa. 

Organized  1833,  by  Jesse  Bowles ;  present  membership, 
152;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began  1840; 
present  enrollment,  159. 

This  was  organized  as  the  Bear  Creek  Christian  Church. 
The  local  name  was  changed  in  1840.  The  charter  members 
were  Jesse  Bowles  and  wife ;  Stephen  A.  Ruddle,  wife  and 
daughter ;  Sarah  Crawford,  Miss  Stephenson,  and  the  Misses 
Lyttle  and  Elizabeth  Stone. 

The  pioneer  preachers  were  Stephen  Ruddle,  Jesse  Bowles, 
John  Clark  and  Levi  Hatchet.  Mr.  Ruddle  was  born  in 
Bourbon  County,  Ky.,  in  1768.  He  did  missionary  work 
among  the  Indians.  Came  from  Missouri  to  Adams  County 
in  1829. 

Wolf  Ridge  (Camp  Point). 

Organized  1892,  by  John  Parrick;  present  membership, 
40;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1892;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  50. 

Of  late  years  the  church  has  paid  a  little  for  missions. 

Charles  A.  Cate  was  a  farmer-preacher  of  this  county  who 


116         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

did  faithful  service  for  many  years.     He  was  born  in  New 
Hampshire  and  died  in  Adams  County  in  1908. 

John  B.  Curl  was  also  an  active  evangelist  in  the  early 
thirties.  His  labors  were  earnest  and  reached  a  wide  terri- 
tory. 

BOND   COUNTY. 

Greenville. 

Organized  1878,  by  J.  Carroll  Stark;  present  membership, 
300;  value  of  property,  $4,500;  Bible  school  began  1878; 
present  enrollment,  250. 

Isaac  N.  Enloe  was  instrumental  in  having  IMr.  Stark 
hold  the  series  of  meetings  that  resulted  in  the  formation 
of  this  church. 

Among  the  leading  members  there  are  W.  H.  Dawdy, 
Cicero  J.  Lindly,  E.  E.  Wise,  C.  E.  Davidson,  E.  W.  Miller 
and  H.  C.  Mable. 

The  two  preachers  produced  were  Jesse  E.  Stone  a  Tal- 
mage  DeFreese. 

The  church  is  healthy  and  prosperous. 

Mulberry  Grove, 

Organized  1864,  by  John  A.  Williams;  present  member- 
ship, 200;  value  of  property,  $3,200;  Bible  school  began  1864; 
present  enrollment,  144. 

The  charter  members  were  A.  J.  Morgan  and  wife, 
Andrew  Steel  and  wife,  A.  J.  Leigh  and  wife,  C.  T.  Smith 
and  wife,  Hiram  Bixby  and  wife,  and  Mrs.  Barnes. 

The  German  Baptists  and  United  Baptists  owned  a  chapel 
jointly  here.  The  trustees  bought  out  one  party  in  the  spring 
of  1865  and  the  other  party  a  year  afterward.  By  1900  the 
house  was  old  and  poorly  located,  so  then  a  better  location 
was  purchased  and  a  modern  chapel  built  thereon. 

Mr.  Williams  served  the  church  several  years.  Twelve 
or  more  pastors  have  followed  him.  The  congregation  has 
half-time  preaching.  There  are  seven  elders,  six  deacons  and 
five  trustees.    Evert  Elam  is  clerk. 


CHURCHES  117 

Smithboro. 

Present  membership,  30;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  35. 

Tamalco. 

Present  membership,  99;  value  of  property,  $800;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  79. 

Wohurn. 

Organized  1859,  by  John  A.  Williams;  present  member- 
ship, 50;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible-school  enrollment, 
56. 

This  was  the  first  church  in  Bond  County  that  was  Chris- 
tian only.  In  1859  Jonathan  Skates,  with  his  wife  and  his 
wife's  sister,  Mrs.  E.  M.  Lemert — all  members  of  the  church 
of  Christ — came  from  Ohio  and  settled  in  this  locality.  Mrs. 
Lemert  was  a  woman  of  fine  intelligence  and  Christian  devo- 
tion. These,  with  other  Disciples,  arranged  for  monthly 
meetings  in  the  schoolhouse.  In  the  fall  Mr.  Williams  held 
a  revival  and  constituted  the  church. 

A  chapel  was  built  soon.  In  1906  this  gave  place  to  a 
new  and  better  house. 

There  was  a  hard  pull  to  pay  for  the  first  chapel  because 
of  the  determined  opposition  of  denominational  neighbors. 
Not  a  church  that  opposed  in  that  time  has  now  either  place 
or  name  in  the  community. 

The  first  officers  were  Henry  Allen,  elder;  Jonathan 
Skates  and  D.  V.  Tabor,  deacons. 

BROWN    COUNTY. 

Cooperstown. 

Organized  1881,  by  T.  W.  Cottingham;  present  member- 
ship, 103;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began 
1881 ;  present  enrollment,  81. 

Before  this  date  Mins.  A.  P.  Stewart,  Cottingham,  Pat- 
terson and  Stanley  had  preached    here.      Like    all    village 


118  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

churches,  this  has  lost  many  by  the  continual  change  of  peo- 
ple.    However,  this  one  is  still  vigorous. 

Haccl  Dell  (Mt.  Sterling). 

Organized  1870,  by  Minister  Robison;  present  member- 
ship, 70;  vaUie  of  property,  $600;  Bible  school  began  1870; 
present  enrolhnent,  89. 

The  location  is  two  miles  east  of  Mt.  Sterling,  on  the 
Ripley  road.  The  chapel  was  built  the  same  year.  The  work 
has  been  regularly  and  faithfully  maintained,  although  sub- 
ject to  constant  changes  in  the  community.  Among  the  lead- 
ers in  the  earlier  days  were  George  Kendrick,  Lemuel  Cop- 
page,  John  Dennis  and  Lewis  C.  Perry.  Mr.  Perry  was  the 
efficient  superintendent  of  the  Bible  school  for  many  years. 

Mt.  Sterling. 

Organized  1838,  by  John  Taylor ;  present  membership, 
383;  value  of  property,  $10,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  300. 

The  first  preachers  of  the  Christian  Church  came  to 
Brown  County  as  early  as  1836,  and  began  their  work 
among  the  scattered  pioneer  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  Mt. 
Sterling.  They  were  strong,  rugged  men,  deeply  rooted  in 
the  gospel,  and  staunch  advocates  of  the  Restoration  move- 
ment. Among  these  were  John  B.  Curl,  Alexander  Reynolds, 
Thomas  Brockman,  Barton  W.  Stone,  John  Rigdon,  Jacob 
Creath,  James  Ross,  W.  P.  Bowles,  Pardee  Butler  (of  Kan- 
sas fame),  Robert  Foster,  with  an  occasional  sermon  by  Alex- 
ander Campbell. 

John  Price,  a  well-to-do  farmer  residing  two  miles  east 
of  Mt.  Sterling,  was  one  of  the  first  to  identify  himself  with 
the  new  movement.  He  became  the  most  active  servant  of 
the  Lord.  Meetings  for  preaching,  prayer  and  communion 
were  held  in  his  home,  and  others  in  the  village  in  an  old 
blacksmith  and  wagon  shop  and  next  in  the  courthouse.  The 
first  chapel  was  built  in  1853  and  still  stands  on  the  original 
site.    The  city  owns  it. 

The  next  preachers  were  D.  P.  Henderson,  J.  S.  Sweeney 


CHURCHES  119 

and  John  Taylor,  the  latter  of  whom  for  many  years  was  the 
resident  minister  of  the  church.  He  was  a  man  of  modest 
mien  and  limited  education,  but  had  large  native  ability  both 
as  a  preacher  and  leader  of  men.  His  long  and  faithful 
service  gave  permanency  to  this  church  and  introduced  the 
gospel  into  other  communities.  Evangelist  W.  H.  Brown  also 
helped  the  church  much. 

The  pastorate  of  J.  F.  Stewart  was  especially  fruitful  in 
both  spiritual  and  material  results.  On  lots  that  were  given 
to  the  congregation  by  him  and  George  F.  Tebo  the  present 
building  was  finished  in  1887.  This  was  enlarged  and  recon- 
structed during  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Lorton. 

The  church  is  well  organized  and  carrying  on  aggressive 
work  under  Mr.  L.  G.  Huff's  capable  leading. 

New  Salem  (Mt.  Sterling). 

Organized  1875,  by  J.  T.  Smith ;  Bible  school  began  1875. 

Four  miles  north  of  Mt.  Sterling,  at  the  Bell  School- 
house,  a  congregation  of  about  fifty  members  was  formed. 
Among  them  were  some  excellent  families.  Meetings  were 
held  regularly  on  the  Lord's  Days.  In  1877  a  chapel  was 
built  nearer  town,  which  is  known  as  above  written.  The 
pastors  at  Mt.  Sterling  have  usually  served  this  congregation. 

Ripley. 

Organized  1842,  by  John  Taylor ;  present  membership,  72 ; 
value  of  property,  $4,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  112. 

For  many  years  Alpheus  Brown,  a  pioneer  preacher, 
resided  here  and  cared  for  this  congregation.  During  this 
period  it  grew  steadily  and  came  to  have  near  three  hundred 
members,  who  controlled  the  bulk  of  the  wealth  in  the  village 
and  community.  Later  the  church  was  divided  by  the  Sev- 
enth-day Advents  and  has  never  regained  its  power  and  influ- 
ence. Ministers  Taylor  and  Brown  were  the  chief  factors  in 
its  growth.  Associated  with  them  as  active  servants  of  God 
there  were  P.  A.  Hows,  Marion  Stout,  Nancy  Tebo,  W.  A. 
Clark,  John  Adams,  L.  D.  Stoffer,  S.  Glen,  Mrs.   Hawkins 


120         HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN  ILLINOIS 

and  Mrs.  Hardin.  Some  of  its  later  preachers  were  J.  S. 
Sweeney,  Mr.  Price,  J.  T.  Smith,  C.  H.  Patterson,  A.  P. 
Stewart  and  Mr.  Stanley. 

A  modern  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1904.  J.  D. 
Williams  is  the  present  pastor. 

TimewelL 

Organized  1868,  by  P.  D.  Vermillion ;  present  member- 
ship, 194;  value  of  property,  $12,000;  Bible  school  began 
1868;  present  enrollment,  210. 

The  former  name  of  this  town  was  Mound  Station.  Pre- 
vious to  1868  there  were  some  scattered  Disciples  of  Christ 
in  the  community,  among  them  Mr.  Laughlin,  the  Coopers, 
Webb,  Oliver  Ausmus  and  other  good  men. 

A  strong  congregation  was  organized  and  a  good  house 
built. 

The  ministers  who  served  the  church  were  Wm.  Gressom, 
Mr.  McPherson,  D.  R.  Lucas,  T.  W.  Cottingham,  A.  P. 
Stewart,  T.  M.  Weaver  and  E.  J.  Lampton. 

Two  public  discussions  were  held  in  this  house.  In  1878, 
A.  P.  Stewart  met  Minister  Yates,  of  the  Missionary  Baptists, 
In  1879,  D.  R.  Lucas  met  Minister  Thompson,  of  the  Regular 
Baptists. 

This  is  a  strong  church.  Pastor  W.  A.  Taylor  led  in  the 
erection  of  the  present  fine  structure. 

Versailles. 

Organized  1869,  by  W.  S.  Henry;  value  of  property, 
including  parsonage,  $5,300. 

Mr.  Henry  was  one  of  the  first  elders  and  A.  G.  Lucas 
the  first  minister.  The  growth  in  numbers  was  slow.  In 
1874  the  frame  of  a  new  church  building  was  swept  away  by 
a  storm.  Renewed  determination  soon  rebuilt  it.  In  its 
earlier  years  George  F.  Adams  and  A.  P.  Stewart  held  suc- 
cessful meetings,  when  some  of  the  most  influential  people 
of  the  community  were  included  in  its  membership.  This 
church  has  done  good  work. 


CHURCHES  121 

During  Mr.  Bassett's  pastorate  A.  P.  Cobb  led  in  a  great 
meeting. 

A  new  and  modern  building  was  erected  in  1907  during 
the  pastorate  of  R.  S.  Campbell. 

The  church  is  doing  aggressive  work. 

BUREAU   COUNTY. 

The  Ross  brothers  (John,  Joseph  and  Andrew)  came  from 
Tuscarawas  County,  O.,  and  settled  in  Ohio  Township  in 
1845.  Shortly  thereafter  they  organized  a  church  of  Christ 
and  built  a  chapel  in  their  neighborhood.  This  did  good 
service  till  1872,  when  the  place  of  meeting  was  changed  to 
Ohio,  a  town  that  grew  on  the  railroad  three  miles  north. 
There  the  congregation  also  did  good  work.  But  its  mem- 
bers moved  away,  Romanists  and  infidels  came,  so  that  for 
years  the  Christian  Church  has  had  no  regular  meetings.  The 
chapel  still  stands  there. 

About  1845,  Min.  Geo.  G.  McManis  organized  a  church 
of  Christ  at  Leepertown,  which  served  the  community  for 
forty-three  years,  then  it  passed  away  by  emigration.  It  was 
the  first  of  its  faith  in  the  county. 

About  1850,  J.  F.  M.  Parker,  assisted  by  John  Wherry 
and  G.  G.  McManis,  organized  at  Boyd's  Grove  the  Milo 
Church.  It  served  its  community  well  for  many  years,  but 
it  is  now  feeble.    The  Southerland  family  was  prominent. 

Later  the  Lone  Tree  Church  was  formed  seven  miles 
southeast  of  Boyd's  Grove,  probably  by  G.  G.  McManis. 
Emigration  carried  it  away. 

Cragy  Sharp,  a  Scotch  Disciple,  settled  near  Lamoille 
and  gathered  together  a  small  band  there  in  the  school- 
house.     Two  of  his  sons  became  preachers. 

The  work  at  Maiden  was  begun  by  Elijah  Isaacs  and 
John  and  Andrew  Ross.  The  congregation  met  in  the  For- 
ristal  Schoolhouse,  three  miles  north  of  Dover.  The  Car- 
penter brothers  were  reared  in  this  neighborhood,  one  of 
whom  became  president  of  Oskaloosa  College  and  chancellor 
of  Drake  University,  both  in  Iowa. 


122         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

Neither  of  the  last  two  named  congregations  built  a 
church  house. 

What  the  name  McManis  meant  to  the  southern  part 
of  this  county,  Ross  meant  to  the  northern  part. 

New  Bedford. 

Organized  1866,  by  Geo.  W.  Mapes;  present  membership, 
130;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $4,500;  Bible 
school  began  1866;  present  enrollment,  125. 

John  and  Andrew  Ross  were  the  pioneer  preachers  here. 
There  were  twenty-two  charter  members,  among  whom  were 
Jacob  Sells,  J.  H.  Symonds,  Levi  Baldwin,  Henry  Thomas 
and  Mrs.  Thomas  Gibson.  At  first  the  church  met  bitter 
opposition  from  its  religious  neighbors.  It  became  weak, 
and  the  chapel  that  was  built  in  1869  was  sold.  In  1887  the 
congregation  was  reorganized  by  Min.  G.  W.  Black,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Ohio  Church.  Since  then  it  has  done 
excellent  work. 

Princeton, 

Organized  1840,  by  John  G.  Yearnshaw;  present  mem- 
bership, 282;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $14,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  219. 

The  charter  members  were  James  W.  Howe,  John,  Cath- 
erine and  Daniel  R.  Howe,  John  and  Eliza  Ireland,  Daniel 
Bryant,  Clark  and  Mary  Bennett,  Rachel  and  Juliet  Radclifif, 
Elmura  Elston,  Sarah  Minier,  Mary  Hays,  Margaret  McEl- 
wain  and  John  G.  Yearnshaw.  Mr.  Yearnshaw  was  chosen 
bishop,  Mr.  Bennett,  deacon,  and  IMary  Bennett,  deaconess, 
on  March  8.  The  next  October  four  persons  were  added  by 
conversion  under  the  preaching  of  G.  P.  Young.  Meetings 
were  held  in  an  upper  room  until  1846,  when  a  brick  house 
was  completed  through  much  toil  and  sacrifice.  Min.  G.  G. 
McManis,  who  had  come  there  in  1844,  and  his  sons  went 
into  the  woods  and  cut  the  timber  that  was  used  in  the  build- 
ing.    It  stood  until  1870,  when  the  present  house  was  built. 

The  church  has  had  a  varied    history.      The    names    of 


CHURCHES  123 

Mathew  Trimble  and  his  son,  Wm.  C.  and  Geo.  G.  McManis, 
Dr.  G.  W.  Taylor  and  D.  R.  Howe  are  cherished.  J.  G. 
Waggoner  was  twice  its  pastor.  Its  present  officers  are  well 
qualified.     C.  C.  Carpenter  is  the  minister. 

Walnut. 

Organized  1882,  by  R.  B.  Brown ;  present  membership, 
242;  value  of  property,  $6,000;  Bible  school  began  1882; 
present  enrollment,  147. 

Andrew  Ross  preached  the  first  sermon  in  the  Red  Oak 
log  schoolhouse,  about  three  miles  from  the  site  of  Walnut. 
A  little  later  G.  W.  Mapes  preached  there  and  the  observance 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  was  begun.  Mr.  Brown  was  assisted 
in  the  organization  at  Walnut  by  S.  S.  Jones.  Prominently 
connected  with  this  prosperous  church  were,  or  are,  Messrs. 
Brower,  McNitt,  Wolf,  Culver,  Kelly,  Martin,  Potter,  Long, 
Shirk  and  Ross. 

York  town  (Tampico). 

Organized  1891,  by  J.  E.  Pierce;  present  membership,  20; 
value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1894;  present 
enrollment,  48. 

Mrs.  C.  C.  Babcock  held  a  series  of  meetings  in  Wood- 
man Hall  in  September.  She  ordained  J.  E.  Pierce,  who 
formed  the  church  with  six  members.  The  chapel  was  built 
in  1894.  With  varying  fortune  it  continued  till  1899.  In 
that  year  it  supported  an  evangelist  in  forming  a  congegra- 
tion  at  Tampico,  in  Whiteside  County,  to  which  it  gave  thirty 
of  its  members.  Since  then  it  has  gradually  declined  by 
removals.  It  did  good  work.  F.  C.  Thackaberry  is  corre- 
spondent. 

CALHOUN  COUNTY. 

Bay   (Mozier). 

Organized  1897,  by  J.  M.  Bovee ;  present  membership, 
60;  value  of  property,  $800;  Bible  school  began  1900;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  75. 


124  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

This  congregation  was  the  result  of  a  meeting  conducted 
by  Mr.  Bovee  in  the  West  Panther  Creek  Schoolhouse.  The 
use  of  an  organ  and  the  beginning  of  a  Sunday  school  led  to 
a  division  of  the  church.  Those  withdrawing  put  up  a 
chapel  within  a  stone's-throw  of  the  other  house.  Then  they 
challenged  Mr.  Bovee  to  publicly  debate  the  "organ  ques- 
tion."   He  complied. 

Farmers'  Ridge  (Nebo). 

Organized  1856,  by  J.  W.  Greer  and  James  Burbridge; 
present  membership,   123 ;  Bible-school  enrollment,  100. 
George  and  Richard  Williams  are  preachers  here. 

Indian  Creek   (Hamburg). 

Present  membership,  60. 

A  small,  ultra-conservative  congregation,  with  little  influ- 
ence for  good. 

CARROLL   COUNTY. 

Lanark. 

Organized  1843,  by  Garner  Moffett;  present  membership, 
122;  value  of  property,  $10,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  120. 

Cherry  Grove  was  five  miles  northeast  of  the  site  of 
Lanark.  Into  this  place  Garner  Moffett,  David  Tripp,  William 
Renner,  Thomas  and  Abraham  Moffett,  with  their  families, 
came  in  1840,  and  a  little  later  David  Miller,  Emanuel  Stover, 
William  Hawk  and  the  McCoy  family.  Some  of  these  were 
from  Virginia  and  others  from  Ohio.  Min.  Henry  Howe 
preached  in  this  settlement  at  that  time,  as  did  also  J.  M. 
Yearnshaw.  After  the  church  was  formed,  it  authorized 
Garner  Moffett  and  David  Tripp  to  preach.  Residences  and 
schoolhouses  were  used  for  public  worship  till  1858,  when 
a  chapel  was  built  at  Stovertown.  When  the  railway  was 
built  in  1861,  Lanark  was  started  and  the  chapel  moved  there. 
In  1879  a  new  house  was  built.  This  gave  place  to  the 
present  elegant  structure  in  1907.    From  the  first  the  church 


CHURCHES  125 

has  had  many  representative  people  and  has  done  good 
service.  This  congregation  has  given  to  the  ministry  Robert 
and  Frank  L.  Molfett,  Wm.  B.  Clemner  and  F.  A.  Sword. 

Savanna. 

Organized  1904,  by  C.  C.  Carpenter ;  present  membership, 
25;  value  of  property,  $700;  Bible  school  began  1904;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  55. 

There  were  thirty-one  charter  members.  Adverse  condi- 
tions and  removals  have  handicapped  the  church  from  its 
beginning.  It  owns  a  lot,  but  the  meetings  are  held  in  a  hall. 
A  C.  E.,  L.  A.  society  and  teacher-training  class  are  main- 
tained.   Mrs.  C.  Gridley  is  clerk. 

Thomson. 

Organized  1852,  by  John  Yeager;  present  membership, 
100;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $4,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  105. 

In  1852,  Min.  Garner  Moffett,  of  Cherry  Grove,  established 
a  mission  at  the  Argo  Schoolhouse,  then  called  Hague.  Soon 
after.  Minister  Yeager  organized  the  Johnson  Creek  Church, 
with  the  following  charter  members:  Henry  Atherton  and 
wife,  Luke  Atherton,  Cephas  Atherton  and  wife,  Thomas  Art 
and  wife,  Robert  Art  and  wife,  Ebon  Balcom,  Mrs.  James 
Carroll,  Mrs.  Robert  Carroll,  Mrs.  Alonzo  Fuller,  Henry 
Knigh,  Amos  Shoemaker  and  wife,  and  Mrs.  Charles  Thom- 
alson.  Cephas  Atherton  was  the  last  of  these  to  pass  on.  He 
died  in  1910.  Robert  Art  was  the  first  elder,  and  Amos 
Shoemaker  and  Thomas  Art  the  first  deacons.  After  Ministers 
Yeager  and  MofTett,  C.  W.  Sherwood  served  the  church  one- 
fourth  time  as  pastor  for  $100  per  year.  His  sermons  aver- 
aged one  hour  and  thirty  minutes.  About  1860  the  Baptists 
built  a  chapel  at  Bluffville,  which  was  rented  for  one-fourth 
time.  The  district  missionary  meeting  was  held  here  with 
130  delegates  present.  At  that  time  a  chapel  became  a  neces- 
sity; work  on  a  railway  had  commenced,  so  it  was  built  at 


126         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Thomson.  The  rock  was  quarried  by  the  members  and 
much  of  the  other  labor  donated  by  them.  J.  N.  Smith  was 
then  the  minister.  The  women  of  the  congregation  paid  off 
the  indebtedness  before  the  dedication.  By  reason  of  its 
financial  weakness  the  church  in  its  earlier  years  took  L.  B. 
Myers  from  a  real-estate  office,  G.  W.  Pearl  from  a  marble- 
cutter's  shop,  and  C.  C.  Blakesley  from  music-teaching,  and 
made  good  preachers  of  them.  The  Thomson  Church  is 
proud  of  three  things:  they  have  never  had  a  quarrel,  never 
had  a  mortgage  on  their  property,  and  have  always  paid 
their  ministers  every  dollar  promised.  Mrs.  C.  C.  Babcock 
rendered  the  congregation  fine  services  as  pastor. 

CASS  COUNTY. 

Ashland. 

Organized  1892,  by  G.  W.  Pearl ;  present  membership, 
100;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1892;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  126. 

A  former  congregation  in  this  town  had  failed.  This  one 
was  organized  by  State  Evangelist  Pearl.  Its  pastors  have  not 
all  been  the  most  worthy. 

Bcardstozun. 

Organized  1910,  by  Chas.  W.  Ross :  present  membership, 
137;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began  1910;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  250. 

In  the  years  long  since  gone,  there  was  a  congregation  of 
Christians  only  here,  but  even  memory  of  it  has  faded  away. 

The  present  church  came  from  a  six  weeks'  meeting,  led 
by  District  Evangelist  Ross,  assisted  for  a  time  by  Miss  Alice 
Hornbeck,  State  Bible-school  evangelist.  First,  Mr.  Ross 
made  a  canvass  of  the  town,  visiting  982  homes  personally. 
He  found  about  one  hundred  persons  who  had  been  Disciples, 
and  a  ladies'  aid  society.  The  meeting  followed.  Mr.  Ross 
reported  1.220  calls  while  on  the  field,  challenges  to  debate 
and  opportunities  to  side-track  in  controversies,  but  the  faith- 


CHURCHES  127 

ful  preaching  oi  the  gospel  in  love  resulted  in  a  congregation 
of  ninety-seven  members. 

At  first  the  old  chapel  of  the  German  Methodists  was 
leased  and  then  purchased  in  1911. 

Chandlerville. 

Organized  1865,  by  Dr.  D.  W.  Shurtleff ;  present  member- 
ship, 199;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $12,500; 
Bible  school  began  1865 ;  present  enrollment,  180. 

In  the  early  sixties,  Dr.  D.  W.  Shurtleff  preached  in  the 
Buck  and  Pleasant  Ridge  Schoolhouses,  located  a  few  miles 
east  of  the  town.  In  1864  the  place  of  meeting  was  changed 
to  the  village  schoolhouse,  and  Min.  John  A.  Raines  minis- 
tered to  the  people  there.  The  chapel  was  built  in  1867, 
and  the  present  fine  structure  was  finished  in  1913  during  the 
pastorate  of  B.  O.  Aylesworth. 

The  church  owes  much  to  Dr.  N.  H.  Boone  for  his  help  in 
its  first  period.  After  four  years  of  spiritual  gloom,  Min. 
H.  C.  Littleton  began  to  revive  the  church  in  1904.  Since 
then,  led  by  good  men,  it  has  moved  forward.  Dr.  H.  B. 
Boone  has  been  Bible-school  superintendent  for  sixteen  years. 

Philadelphia. 

Organized  1837,  by  Samuel  P5rockman ;  present  member- 
ship, 20;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible-school  enrollment, 
25. 

In  1850,  Princeton,  Cass  County,  was  a  village  of  two 
hundred  inhabitants  and  a  good  business.  Its  location  was 
about  midway  between  Virginia  and  Petersburg.  With  the 
coming  of  railroads,  the  town  disappeared  and  its  site  is  now 
farmed.  There  was  a  Christian  chapel  in  that  Princeton  in 
1838.  Minister  Brockman  was  the  first  man  who  preached  the 
primitive  gospel  in  that  community  and  probably  formed  the 
congregation.  Alexander  Campbell  preached  there  one  time. 
John  Sybrant,  a  resident  of  Jacksonville,  and  now  ninety  years 
of  age,  became  a  member  of  this  congres^ation  in  1845.  He 
says  that  Minister  Patton  and  D.  Pat  Henderson,  both  then 


128         HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN  ILLINOIS 

residents  of  Jacksonville,  were  then  preaching  there;  that  the 
elders  then  were  Jaines  Conover,  Martin  Hoagland  and  Dr. 
Andrew  Elder,  and  the  deacons  were  Isaac  Plodding,  John 
Conover  and  John  C.  Dennis;  that  William  Black  moved 
there  in  that  year  and  was  shortly  made  an  elder;  that 
Samuel  T.  Callaway  thereafter  preached  for  the  church 
seven  years ;  that  a  new  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1849 
by  Joseph  Black;  that  in  June  a  public  discussion  was  held 
in  this  chapel  between  W.  W.  Happy  and  Minister  Lewis,  an 
M.  E.  preacher;  that  E.  G.  Rice  came  to  the  neighborhood, 
bought  the  James  Conover  farm,  was  chosen  an  elder  and 
preached  for  the  church ;  that  Eleazer  Griffin  was  their  next 
preacher,  but  became  a  schismatic  and  was  dismissed  from 
the  church ;  that  in  1866  this  church  held  a  meeting  in  the 
Garner  neighborhood,  J.  B.  McCorkle  preaching;  that  in  No- 
vember, 1866,  Minister  McCorkle  and  Dr.  J.  M.  Allen  con- 
ducted a  series  of  meetings  in  a  wood-shop  in  Philadelphia,  and 
that  the  Princeton  Church  was  reorganized  there  with 
Charles  Elder  and  John  Sybrant,  elders,  with  Ripley  Elder 
and  Joseph  Black,  deacons.  The  chapel  at  Princeton  was 
torn  down,  transferred  to  Philadelphia  and  rebuilt  there  by 
Joseph  Black.  It  was  dedicated  in  June,  1867,  by  Min.  A.  J. 
Kane,  who  was  then  serving  the  church. 

This  church  formed  congregations  at  Jordonville  and  Ash- 
land, and  gave  to  the  ministry  Charles  Dean,  Charles  Elder 
and  Ripley  Elder. 

It  has  lost  heavily  by  removals.  Abram  Bailey,  Henry 
Shafer,  Frank  Cosner,  Mrs.  Ruth  Harding  and  Mrs.  W.  D. 
Watkins  are  among  the  faithful  few  who  remain.  Pastor 
C.  E.  French,  of  Virginia,  is  serving  them  as  he  can. 

John  Sybrant  is  a  beautiful  soul  who  waits  in  the  vesti- 
bule of  eternity  for  his  glorification. 

Virginia, 

Organized  1839,  by  Wm.  H.  Brown ;  present  membership, 
160;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $17,000;  Bible 
school  began  1855 ;  present  enrollment,  160. 


CHURCHES  129 

Among  the  charter  members  there  were  probably  the 
following:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alexander  Naylor,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Charles  Brady,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Mosely  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thomas  Mosely.  Mr.  Naylor  was  the  elder  of  the 
church. 

It  was  not  till  1843  that  Evangelist  Brown  conducted  a 
great  revival  in  the  old  courthouse.  He  was  assisted  by  A. 
J.  Kane  and  Samuel  Church.  At  this  meeting  Henry  S. 
Savage,  Sr.,  and  Miss  Sarah  Frances  Ward  united  with  the 
church.  Miss  Ward  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Savage.  There- 
after she  became  widely  and  well  known  for  many  Christian 
works  and  noble  character.  Her  father  and  mother,  Jacob  and 
Eliza  Ward,  came  into  the  church  at  the  same  time.  It  was 
he  who  gave  the  lot  upon  which  the  first  house  of  worship 
was  built.  This  was  in  1853.  It  was  at  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  Beardstown  and  Pitt  Streets  and  was  used  till  1879. 
During  this  period  the  preaching  was  intermittent.  Robert 
Foster,  John  Taft,  George  Owens,  Harrison  Osborn,  A.  H. 
Rice,  J.  A.  Rains  and  Samuel  Lowe  were  there,  and  others 
who  held  "big  meetings."  About  1875  the  Black  family 
moved  into  the  city  and  ever  since  have  added  much  to  the 
strength  of  the  church. 

J.  L.  Richardson  became  the  first  pastor  in  1878.  In  the 
fall  of  that  year  the  second  church  building  was  finished.  It 
stood  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Beardstown  and  Cass 
Streets  on  a  lot  one-half  of  which  was  given  by  Mrs.  Sarah 
F.  Savage.  This  building  was  struck  by  lightning  and 
burned  in  1897.  J.  D.  Dabney  was  the  pastor.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  G.  F.  Shields,  who  led  in  the  construction  of  the 
new  building.  During  the  period  of  the  second  building, 
Jas.  McGuire,  N.  E.  Cory,  Minister  Sewell  and  J.  J.  Cathcart 
were  pastors. 

In  the  winter  of  1888-89,  Evangelist  W.  F.  Black  held  a 
seven  weeks'  meeting  here  which  was  an  event  in  the  life 
of  the  church.  After  this,  B.  J.  Radford  supplied  the  pulpit 
and  pastors  succeeded. 

The  church  is  active  in  Christian  service. 

6 


130  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

CHAMPAIGN    COUNTY. 

The  general  history  of  this  county  says: 

''Cyrus  Strong,  an  early  settler  on  the  Salt  Fork,  was  a 
licentiate  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ.  He  was  the  first  min- 
ister whose  name  appears  upon  the  marriage  records  of  the 
county  as  officiating  at  a  marriage  early  in  the  history  of  the 
neighborhood.  He  exercised  his  gifts  in  behalf  of  a  religious 
life. 

"Samuel  Mapes,  a  resident  of  Hickory  Grove,  of  the 
same  denomination,  preached  at  dififerent  places  in  the  county 
and  was  instrumental  in  the  organization  of  a  church  at  the 
schoolhouse  in  his  neighborhood. 

'These  were  the  earliest  churches  of  this  denomination 
and  its  earliest  ministers." 

Champaign. 

Organized  1883,  by  N.  S.  Haynes ;  present  membership, 
975;  value  of  property,  $70,000;  Bible  school  began  1883; 
present  enrollment,  836. 

The  official  records  of  the  State  Missionary  Society  show 
that  this  church  was  constituted  by  State  Evangelist  N.  S. 
Haynes.  After  about  two  months  of  intermittent  efforts,  he 
gave  place  to  Min.  E.  L.  Frazier,  who  formed  the  Bible 
school  and  prayer-meeting.  He  moved  to  Champaign,  but 
resigned  the  care  of  the  mission  after  a  short  service  on  the 
ground  that  "permanent  results  promised  to  be  more  tardy  than 
he  thought  he  ought  to  wait  for."  The  care  of  the  mission 
then  went  to  Min.  A.  N.  Page.  He  resided  in  Champaign 
for  about  eight  years.  In  1884,  Mr.  Page  began  to  give 
much  time  to  the  mission.  He  bought  a  cheap  lot  on  White 
Street,  solicited  money  in  Champaign  and  other  counties  and 
practically  built  the  chapel.  Then  he  preached  for  the  con- 
gregation till  the  close  of  1885.  Some  of  the  pastors  who 
have  served  the  church  were  B.  N.  Anderson,  S.  S.  Jones 
and  E.  C.  Stark. 

For  the  past  ten  years  S.  E.  Fisher  has  been  pastor,  and 


CHURCHES  131 

in  this  period  the  church  has  made  gratifying  growth.  Mr. 
F.  B.  Vennum  moved  to  the  city  in  1S99  and  shortly  there- 
after bought  and  gave  to  the  church  a  much  better  site.  Mr. 
F.  K.  Robeson  seconded  the  work  of  Mr.  Vennum  and  they 
interested  Mr.  T.  A.  Bondurant,  of  DeLand.  A  substantial 
building  grew  during  the  pastorate  of  Jay  W.  Knight.  This 
was  much  enlarged  and  improved  in  1910. 

During  the  past  decade,  more  than  two  thousand  members 
have  been  enrolled.  The  church  is  located  at  the  seat  of  the 
University  of  Illinois  and  is  alive  to  its  opportunities  and 
responsibilities. 

Fisher. 

Organized  1885,  by  II.  C.  Castle;  present  membership, 
236;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $6,500;  Bible 
school  began  1885 ;  present  enrollment,  222. 

This  church  was  the  result  of  a  series  of  meetings  con- 
ducted by  Evangelist  H.  C.  Castle  in  the  U.  B.  chapel.  The 
congregation  occupied  their  house  of  worship  in  1886,  which 
was  remodeled  in  1907.  J.  F.  Hollingsworth  is  in  his  fifth 
year  as  pastor. 

Gifford. 

Organized  1880,  by  John  I\T.  Smith;  present  membership, 
60;  value  of  property,  $1,800;  Bible  school  began  1880;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  75. 

Meetings  were  held  in  the  schoolhouse.  The  church 
building  was  finished  in  1892. 

Homer. 

Organized  1856,  by  Dr.  T.  M.  Hess ;  present  membership, 
107;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1856; 
present  enrollment,  62. 

There  were  eleven  charter  members.  There  was  a  union 
chapel  in  Old  Homer,  but  when  it  was  moved  to  the  new 
site  the  legal  title  passed  to  the  M.  E.  Church.  Dr.  Hess 
built  a  hall  in  the  new  town  which  was  used  for  public  wor- 
ship.   The  present  house  was  built  about  1875. 


132  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

L.  R.  Conkrite  has  been  given  to  the  ministry  and  a  num- 
ber of  the  sisters  have  married  preachers. 

Longview. 
A  feeble  congregation  with  an  intermittent  Hfe. 
Ludlozu. 

Organized  1869,  by  R.  M.  Martin;  present  membership, 
183;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began  1869; 
present  enrollment,  91. 

The  first  records  of  this  church  are  yet  available.  The 
charter  members  were:  J.  D.  Ludlow,  William  A.  Haley, 
J.  W.  Dillon  and  wife,  S.  S.  Proctor  and  wife,  W.  M.  Cloyd 
and  wife,  W.  S.  Collier  and  wife,  John  Crawford,  T.  J. 
Johnson,  G.  W.  Crose  and  wife,  R.  G.  Braden  and  wife, 
Eliza  J.  Gregg,  Belle  Neville,  Clista  W.  Dillon,  Liddie  Bra- 
den, Mary  A.  Dillon,  Cassie  R.  Gregg,  A.  P.  Cloyd  and  wife, 
Davis  Dillon,  J.  H.  Crawford,  C.  H.  Beach,  W.  L.  Braden, 
Viola  Culbertson,  Emily  White,  and  three  others  whose 
names  are  not  legible. 

The  first  house  of  worship,  costing  $3,000,  was  completed 
in  1871  during  the  pastorate  of  R.  B.  Roberts.  While  J.  H. 
Hollingworth  was  pastor  the  building  was  fully  modernized 
and  made  beautiful  in  1907. 

Ira  J.  Walker  served  the  church  through  fifteen  consecu- 
tive years  as  janitor  and  organist,  free  of  charge. 

Ogden. 

Organized  1871;  present  membership,  60;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1871;  present  enrollment,  50. 

Dr.  T.  M.  Hess  held  the  first  meetings  here  about  1860 
in  an  old  schoolhouse.  In  1872  a  church-house  was  com- 
pleted. Before  the  organization  of  this  church  the  Disciples 
residing  here  held  membership  in  the  church  at  Homer.  By 
reason  of  internal  strife,  the  church  disbanded  in  the  early 
eighties.     Through  the  leading  of   Mr.    B.    F.    Firebaugh, 


CHURCHES  133 

assisted  by  Min.  L.  C.  Warren,  a  reorganization  was  effected 
in  April,  1886.     The  old  records  were  lost. 

The  church  has  given  Walter  Martin  to  the  ministry.  By 
the  help  of  Min.  S.  £.  Fisher,  a  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  was  formed 
in  1908,  which  is  now  supporting  a  native  missionary  on  the 
Congo. 

Rantoul. 

Organized  1892,  by  S.  S.  Jones  and  J.  S.  Clements ;  pres- 
ent membership,  278;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage, 
$12,200;  Bible  school  began  1893;  present  enrollment,  102. 

Meetings  were  held  in  public  halls  till  November,  1893, 
when  the  chapel  was  occupied.  This  received  an  addition 
and  improvements  in  1907. 

Before  the  beginning  of  this  church  there  was  a  congre- 
gation near  the  site  of  Rantoul  called  Bethany.  It  served 
its  time  and  place.  Many  of  its  members  moved  to  the 
town.  The  building  was  torn  down  and  the  available  mate- 
rial used  in  the  construction  of  the  Rantoul  chapel. 

Sidney. 

Organized  1856,  by  W.  P.  Shockey ;  present  membership, 
68;  value  of  property,  $3,500;  Bible  school  began  1870;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  80. 

The  church  first  met  in  a  building  which  the  Baptists  had 
converted  from  a  dwelling  into  a  chapel.  The  next  year  a 
church  was  built.  All  the  lumber  used  in  it,  except  the  sills, 
was  hauled  on  wagons  from  Indiana.  In  1901  a  new  frame 
building  of  modern  architecture  and  construction  was  erected. 

The  old  records  of  the  church  were  destroyed. 

Some  of  the  other  preachers  who  have  served  the  church 
were  Dr.  T.  M.  Hess,  J.  W.  Monser,  Rolla  and  John  Martin 
and  Noah  Walker. 

St.  Joseph. 

Organized  1845,  by  Samuel  Mapes ;  present  memDershiD. 
237;  value  of  property,  inducting  parsonage,  $14,500;  Bible 
school  began  1845;  present  enrollment,  84. 


134  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

As  early  as  1845  Samuel  Mapes  came  and  located  in 
Hickory  Grove,  five  miles  northeast  of  St.  Joseph,  and  began 
preaching  in  that  and  adjoining  settlements.  This  congrega- 
tion prospered  for  many  years  under  the  ministry  of  Mr. 
Mapes,  Rolla  M.  Martin,  Mr.  McKinney,  W.  F.  Yates  and 
Dr.  T.  M.  Hess. 

When  the  railway  was  built,  the  new  town  of  St.  Joseph 
was  started.  Here  meetings  were  first  held  in  the  school- 
house.  Dr.  Hess  preached  for  five  years  and  the  congrega- 
tion increased  in  numbers.  Then  the  M,  E.  people  built  a 
house  of  worship  which  the  Disciples  rented  for  part  time 
and  used  for  a  year.  Then  they  built  a  chapel  of  their  own 
in  1880.  In  this  work  Mr.  Van  B.  Swearinger,  who  had 
come  to  the  community  at  an  early  day,  was  the  leading 
spirit. 

During  the  four  years'  ministry  of  J.  W.  Perkins  the 
church  grew.  After  him  came  Harmon  Gregg,  S.  S.  Jones, 
E  E.  Cowperthwaite,  J.  H.  Hosteller,  J.  Lvtle,  D.  H.  Shank- 
lin,  M.  Metzler,  D.  H.  Palmer  and  J.  T.  Davis.  Following 
the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Jones,  a  schism  in  the  church  occurred. 
This  was  encouraged  and  led  by  a  former  minister,  J.  W. 
Perkins.  A  suit  at  law  followed,  which  resulted  in  accord- 
ing the  property  to  those  opposed  to  Mr.  Perkins.  Two 
years  after  this  an  organ  was  placed  in  the  church  and  used. 

There  are  others  whose  memory  should  be  kept  in  the 
church. 

In  the  early  years  Benny  and  Alex.  Argo  were  most 
faithful.  Two  sisters  in  the  flesh  and  in  the  Lord  did  much 
to  help  teach  people  of  their  Christian  duties.  They  were 
familiarly  known  as  Aunt  Kit  Patterson  and  Aunt  Pop 
Peters.  Aunt  Kit  was  a  cripple  for  many  years.  She  was 
always  at  church.  When  it  was  dark  or  rainy  she  carried  a 
lantern.  She  was  well  endowed  in  mind,  had  good  speaking 
ability  and  was  prompted  by  a  strong  desire  to  teach  people 
Christ's  gospel.  She  could  quote  much  of  the  Scripture  from 
memory.     Aunt  Pop  read  the  Bible  through  thirty-two  times. 

During  the  five  years'  pastorate  of  Mr.  Davis  a  new  and 


CHURCHES  135 

modern   church   building,   costing  $12,000,   was   erected.      It 
was  first  used  June,  1909. 

There  is  also  a  congregation  of  conservatives  here. 

chrTstian  county. 

Assumption. 

Organized  1874,  by  J.  M.  Morgan;  present  membership, 
120;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1874; 
present  enrollment,  45. 

In  1870,  Minister  Morgan  conducted  a  series  of  meetings 
in  the  Baptist  chapel.  Several  people  turned  to  the  Lord. 
Four  years  later  the  organization  was  effected  with  twenty- 
five  charter  members.     The  building  was  erected  in  1875. 

Berea  (Mt.  Auburn). 

Organized  1868,  by  John  W.  Tyler;  present  membership, 
100;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1869; 
present  enrollment,  60. 

Mr.  Tyler  held  a  very  successful  meeting  in  the  Sanders 
Schoolhouse,  winning  sixty-eight  persons  for  the  Lord,  and 
organized  the  church  with  one  hundred  members.  The  first 
officers  were  James  Sanders  and  Benjamin  Cross,  elders, 
with  Wm.  Pierson,  John  M.  Abel  and  Oliver  White,  deacons. 
A  good  frame  chapel  was  built  in  1869.  The  location  is 
beautiful — a  high  blufif  on  the  south  side  of  the  Sangamon 
River.  A  cemetery  has  grown  in  the  rear  of  the  chapel.  Mr. 
Tyler  and  Dr.  L.  A.  Engle  served  the  congregation  for  about 
twenty-five  years. 

''Uncle  Jim  Sanders"  w^as  a  unique  character  in  the  com- 
munity in  the  early  years. 

Edinhurg. 

Organized  1856,  by  A.  D.  Northcutt;  present  member- 
ship, 299;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $5,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,   150. 

Meetings  were  held  in  the  schoolhouse  till  1872,  when  a 


136  HISTORY    OF    THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLL\OIS 

frame  building  costing  about  $1,800  was  erected.  This  was 
struck  by  a  cyclone  in  1875,  which  picked  up  the  structure 
down  to  the  floor  and  carried  it  about  ten  rods.  At  the  time 
the  children  were  in  the  house,  assembled  about  the  organ 
and  organist,  practicing  for  a  religious  program.  They  were 
all  uninjured.  The  house  was  immediately  rebuilt.  It  was 
remodeled  in  1901  and  is  still  in  use. 

A.  O.  Hargis  and  Homer  Turner  have  been  given  to  the 
ministry. 

In  place  of  a  Christian  Endeavor  there  is  a  Kulture  Klub 
of  thirty  young  people  for  Bible  study.     Active  C.  W.  B.  M. 

Morganville  (Blue  Mound). 

Organized  1891,  by  J.  O.  Southerland ;  present  mem.ber- 
ship,  100;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1891 ; 
present  enrollment,  56. 

In  this  year  there  were  living  five  and  a  half  miles  north- 
west of  Blue  Mound  the  following  named  seven  Disciples: 
D.  O.  Daniels  and  wife,  C.  C.  Hollier  and  wife,  John  Scott, 
Mrs.  Maggie  McKinnie  and  John  Hall.  Through  their  effort 
Min.  J.  O.  Southerland  held  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  Syca- 
more Schoolhouse.  He  baptized  forty-two  people  and  organ- 
ized the  Christian  Church  at  Morganville,  Christian  Co., 
Hi.,  with  forty-seven  members.  In  August,  1892,  a  good 
frame  chapel  was  finished  and  occupied.  At  present  the 
elders  are  T.  D.  Scott  and  Elmer  Ellis ;  the  deacons,  Moses 
Morgan,  Henry  Gimnura,  David  Abel  and  Bert  Wilcox. 

Mt.  Auburn. 

Organized  1840,  by  A.  D.  Northcutt;  present  membership, 
200;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $3,500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  107. 

In  December,  1836,  A.  D.  Northcutt  bought  a  farm  near 
the  site  of  the  village  of  Osbornville,  where  Charles  L. 
Osborne  now  resides.  Mr.  Northcutt  was  then  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  which  was  then  very  Calvinistic.  He  first 
disagreed  with  his  Baptist  minister  because  he  debarred  other 


CHURCHES  137 

church  people  from  a  communion  service.  The  date  was  prob- 
ably about  1840.  The  noted  Walter  P.  Bowles  was  at  that 
meeting,  which  was  held  in  a  Presbyterian  chapel  about  a 
mile  east  of  Osbornville  site.  At  the  close  of  this  meeting, 
Messrs.  Northcutt  and  Bowles  laid  hold  of  such  puncheons 
as  they  could  carry,  left  the  church  and  went  to  a  near-by 
grove.     The  people  went  along. 

Mr.  Bowles  mounted  a  stump  and  preached  to  them. 
Thereafter  Mr.  Northcutt  said  to  his  Baptist  minister:  'T  am 
now  done  with  the  Baptist  Church."  It  was  not  long  until 
Mr.  Northcutt  and  his  wife,  William  Hunter  and  wife, 
James  Hunter  and  wife,  and  James  Sanders,  formed  them- 
selves into  a  church  of  Christ.  This  was  the  beginning  of 
the  Alt.  Auburn  congregation.  These  people  began  at  once 
to  meet  regularly  on  the  first  day  of  the  week  for  public 
worship.  It  fell  to  Mr.  Northcutt  to  lead  and  preside  at  the 
Lord's  table.  He  had  no  thought  whatever  of  becoming  a 
minister.  However,  he  soon  showed  his  reverence  for  the 
Scripture  and  his  aptness  to  teach. 

The  little  church  grew  and  he  was  formally  set  apart  to 
the  ministry.  The  meetings  were  held  in  the  Brush  School- 
house.  Mins.  John  W.  Tyler,  John  Wilson  and  Mattie 
Brown  preached  here.  Mr.  Tyler  once  preached  once  a 
month  for  a  year.  His  money  pay  was  $60.  When  no  other 
preacher  was  present,  Mr.  Northcutt  officiated.  Next  the 
congregation  changed  its  place  of  meeting  to  the  Hunter 
Schoolhouse,  some  three  miles  northeast  of  Mt.  Auburn,  and 
in  1866  moved  into  the  village.  A  chapel  was  built  the  same 
year.     Later  it  was  improved,  and  is  yet  in  use. 

The  work  went  on  till  1875.  Then  the  congregation  fell 
to  pieces.  For  a  period  of  twelve  years  the  house  was 
opened  only  for  funerals — a  solemn  reminder  of  deplorable 
spiritual  death.  In  1889,  Min.  M.  L.  Anthony  held  a  series 
of  meetings  and  revived  the  congregation.  Since  then  it  has 
moved  forward  in  a  faithful  effort  to  redeem  the  past. 

During  the  years  of  depression,  Charles  T.  Cole  was 
always  faithful  and  hopeful.    With  his  the  name  of  Ira  Ellis 


138  HI5T0RY    OF    THE    DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

deserves  to  be  remembered.  Li  Inte  years  there  is  a  goodly 
number  cf  earnest  men  and  women,  among  them  John  W. 
Auger. 

Pana. 

Organized  1905;  present  membership,  60;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $2,300;   Bible-school  enrollment,   2L 

A  small  congregation  lived  here  in  the  seventies  and 
eighties,  but  failed  from  a  lack  of  leadership. 

Pleasant  Hill  (Pawnee). 

Present  membership,  138;  value  of  property,  $2,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  25. 

Taylorville. 

Organized  1853,  by  A.  D.  Northcutt;  present  member- 
ship, 410;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $30,000; 
Bible  school  began  1879;  present  enrollment,  250. 

There  were  thirty-five  charter  members.  Wm.  Singer, 
B.  F.  Maupin  and  J.  W.  Thompson  vvere  chosen  elders,  with 
A.  J.  Sparks  and  Griffin  Evans,  deacons. 

The  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  was  used  for  about 
a  year,  wdien  a  frame  chapel  was  built.  It  cost  $2,500,  and 
at  that  time  was  the  best  in  the  county.  The  membership 
then  was  about  150.  Later  an  internal  strife  disorganized 
the  congregation  and  scattered  its  members  every  whither.  In 
1879,  after  a  year  of  hard  w^ork,  Min.  S.  R.  Wilson  suc- 
ceeded in  effecting  a  reorganization  with  thirty-three  mem- 
bers. Wm.  Frampton,  R.  P.  Langley  and  W.  N.  Long  were 
elected  elders,  with  A.  S.  Thomas,  IMorgan  Milligan  and 
Joseph  Torrence,  deacons.  Later,  L.  R.  Hedrick  was  added 
to  the  eldership,  where  he  served  to  the  close  of  his  life  in 
1894.     To  him  the  church  was  and  is  yet  indebted. 

The  present  edifice,  "The  Davis  Memorial  Christian 
Church,"  was  the  gift  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Davis,  they 
furnishing  most  of  the  monev  for  its  construction.  It  was 
built  during  the  pastorate  of  W.  W.  Weedon. 


CHURCHES  139 

Among  the  ministers  of  the  first  period  of  the  church, 
besides  Mr.  Northcutt,  there  were  Alex.  McCoUum,  Wm.  ]\[. 
Brown,  Wm.  Vanhooser,  John  L.  Wilson,  Thomas  Cully,  J. 
W.  Tyler  and  W.  T.  Maupin. 

Mrs.  Cordelia  Davis  Hoover  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Davis  Deter- 
ding  were  daughters  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Davis.  These 
women  were  both  faithful  to  the  Lord  and  his  work  when 
the  church  was  weak  and  when  it  was  stronger.  Their 
names  are  held  in  tender  and  loving  remembrance.  Mrs. 
Deterding's  daughter,  Mrs.  Maude  Deterding  Ferris,  was  the 
founder  of  the  Missionary  Training  School  at  Indianapolis, 
Ind.,  giving  $25,000  toward  this  enterprise.  At  first  it 
bore  her  mother's  name.  Mrs.  Ferris  now  supports  a  mis- 
sionary in  India,  Dr.  Rosa  Lee  Oxer,  and  helps  many  good 
causes. 

The  two  auxiliary  societies  of  this  church  unite  in  the 
support  of  a  teacher  in  the  school  at  Hazel  Green,  Ky., 
paying  $450  a  year. 

The  New  Liberty  Church,  located  three  miles  southwest 
of  Moweaqua,  was  organized  by  A.  D.  Northcutt  in  1853. 
There  were  ten  charter  members.  From  1859  to  1875  the 
congregation  reached  a  membership  of  four  hundred  and  was 
a  power  in  the  community.  Decline  marked  the  years  until 
the  formation  of  the  church  in  Moweaqua,  when  it  absorbed 
many  of  its  members.  In  1902  an  ineffective  attempt  was 
made  for  its  revival. 

CLARK   COUNTY. 

This  is  the  only  county  in  the  State  in  which  no  one  could 
be  induced  to  supply  the  writer  with  the  necessary  facts. 
The  primitive  gospel  was  first  preached  here  about  1833  by 
Daniel  W.  Elledge.  About  1836  he  organized  the  first 
church.  It  was  located  three  miles  west  cf  Dalson  Prairie, 
and  was  named  the  Blue  Grass  Christian  Church.  Later  he 
helped  build  a  chapel  there.  The  Darwin  Church  was  organ- 
ized in  this  county  in  1840  bv  IMin.  John  Bailev.  It  was 
located  in  the  south  part  of  Union  Township.     There  were 


140  HISTORY    OF    THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

fifty  charter  members.  A  Bible  school  was  begun  there  in 
1873,  with  John  Miller  as  superintendent.  In  1913,  there 
were  eight  congregations  reported  in  the  county,  with  a  total 
membership  of  615.  Most  of  the  leaders  have  been  men  of 
very  circumscribed  vision. 

CLAY   COUNTY. 

Bethel  (Louisville). 

Organized  1882;  present  membership,  224;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  103. 

This  is  six  miles  west  from  Louisville  and  was  largely 
made  up  from  Old  Union,  five  miles  west. 

Bethlehem   (Flora). 

Present  membership,  24;  value  of  property,  $1,100; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  95. 

Bible  Grove. 

Present  membership,  139;  value  of  property,  $800;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  57. 

Clay  City. 

Organized  1871,  by  Geo.  P.  Slade;  present  membership, 
88;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $6,200;  Bible 
school  began  1872;  present  enrollment,  100. 

About  one  year  after  Greenburg  Owens  settled  in  Clay 
City,  he  secured  Evangelist  Slade  to  conduct  a  meeting  there, 
when,  in  the  small  M.  E.  chapel  South,  he  formed  a  church 
of  Christ  with  the  following  members:  William,  O.  D.  and 
Philadelphia  Schooley,  Greenburg  and  Martha  Owens,  Geo. 
W.  Bailey,  Josephine  Driskell,  Catherine  Livings  and  Sarah 
A.  Bassett.  By  meetings  led  by  Ministers  Slade  and  John  A. 
Williams,  the  number  was  increased  to  105  at  the  close  of 
the  first  year.  The  first  officers  were  Greenburg  Owens,  J. 
G.  Alcorn  and  J.  T.  Evans,  elders,  with  O.  D.  Schooley,  A. 
G.  Livings  and  J.  D.  Trains,  deacons. 


CHURCHES  141 

A  brick  chapel  was  completed  in  1872  and  first  used  for 
a  prayer-meeting  by  the  congregation.  A  parsonage  was 
secured  in  1880. 

This  is  a  congregation  of  fine  people.  While  not  rich  in 
material  property,  they  have  never  resorted  to  anything  of 
doubtful  propriety  to  raise  money.  They  have  respected  and 
loved  their  pastors,  paid  all  their  bills  promptly,  commanded 
the  respect  of  the  community,  and  have  always  observed  all 
the  missionary  days,  even  though  they  had  no  pastor. 

The  membership  has  been  busy  in  doing  the  Lord's  work, 
united  and  happy.  Very  few  have  ever  had  a  tale  of  woe 
to  tell  the  pastor.  This  admirable  spirit  is  credited  to  Mr. 
Owens  and  their  other  good  leaders.  Sixty  of  the  first  105 
have  passed  on  to  the  higher  life.  Mr.  Owens  was  the  first 
to  go.    Dr.  J.  T.  Evans  has  long  been  a  pillar  of  this  church. 

Flora. 

Organized  1855,  by  William  Schooley;  present  member- 
ship, 328 ;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $16,000 ; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  218. 

This  church  was  organized  in  an  old  log  schoolhouse  that 
stood  a  mile  west  of  the  hamlet  of  Flora.  The  following 
were  the  nine  charter  members :  Walter  Kinnaman,  Henry 
Kinnaman  and  wife,  Samuel  Kinnaman  and  wife,  Felin  Poe 
and  wife  and  James  Moore  and  wife.  All  of  these  have 
finished  their  work  in  this  life. 

When  a  schoolhouse  was  built  in  the  villasfe,  the  congre- 
gation transferred  its  meeting-place  there.  The  first  chapel 
was  completed  in  1860.  It  cost  $2,000,  and  served  as  the 
meeting-place  for  forty-three  years.  The  present  beautiful 
and  modern  building  was  first  occupied  in  August,  1903,  dur- 
ing the  pastorate  of  A.  B.  Cunningham.  During  the  same 
period  the  parsonage  was  built. 

C.  W.  Marlow  is  the  present  pastor. 

This  congreeation  has  had  not  a  few  royal  men  and 
women,  great  children  of  the  King.  Among  the  earlier  and 
continuous  residents  the  names  of  Wm.   Kinnaman,   Henry 


142  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

Kinnaman  and  wife,  Joseph  Luse  and  wife,  Alvin  Kenner  and 
wife,  Jere.  Billings  and  wife,  R.  B.  Henry  and  wife,  S.  D. 
Rosenburger  and  wife  and  Albert  Green  and  wife  are  held 
in  loving  and  grateful  remembrance.  From  its  gates  have 
gone  hundreds  of  faithful  people  to  help  and  bless  the  world. 

Ingraham. 

Organized  1839,  by  William  Read;  value  of  property, 
^5,000;  Bible  school  began  1864. 

In  1840  the  place  now  known  as  Ingraham  was  called 
the  "Forks  of  Muddy."  Muddy  was  on  the  west  and  Laws 
Creek  on  the  east,  and  between  the  two  was  Ingraham 
Prairie.  Marysville  was  the  little  hamlet  there.  When  the 
post-office  was  established  the  name  was  changed  to  Ingra- 
ham, the  word  'Trairie"  being  dropped. 

William  Ingraham  was  born  in  New  York  State  in  1801. 
He  cam^  with  his  parents  to  Barney's  Prairie,  Wabash 
County,  in  1807,  and  to  the  Clay  County  settlement  in  1838. 
The  same  year  William  Read  settled  there.  In  May,  1839, 
he,  with  Mr.  Ingraham,  went  to  the  home  of  John  Rogers 
to  talk  about  religious  matters.  They  were  agriculturists  and 
had  taken  no  part  in  public  worship  other  than  to  pray. 
However,  they  decided  that  the  gospel  must  be  preached  and 
a  church  organized ;  so  it  was  agreed  that  Mr.  Read  should 
serve  as  evangelist,  Mr.  Rogers  as  elder  and  Mr.  Ingraham 
as  deacon.  Then  they  adjourned  to  meet  the  next  Septem- 
ber. Later  Mr.  Rogers  and  Mr.  Ingraham  cordially  ex- 
changed their  official  positions  as  their  experiences  had  proved 
their  fitness.  At  the  September  meeting,  Mr.  Read  read  the 
following : 

That  we  do  here  and  now  constitute  ourselves  into  a  church  of 
Jesus  Christ,  to  be  known  as  "The  Church  of  Christ  in  the  Forks  of 
jMuddy,"  and  that  we  will  meet  together,  worship  God.  and  build  the 
cr.use  of  Christ  in  this  section,  ard  thrt  orr  creed  shall  be  the  Bible 
and  nothing  but  the  Bible.  And  now  all  who  agree  to  this  proposition 
will  signify  the  same  by  giving  me  and  to  each  other  the  hand  as  a 
token  of  said  determination. 


CHURCHES  143 

The  three  men  struck  hands,  and  thus,  under  a  pear-tree, 
this  church  was  started. 

Soon  afterward  Philo  Ingraham  and  Eli  Read  moved 
from  Wabash  County,  who,  with  their  wives  and  the  wives 
of  the  first  three,  made  a  membership  of  ten.  They  entered 
zealously  into  the  Lord's  work,  and  within  a  few  years  had 
organized  congregations  of  like  faith  in  the  present-day  limits 
of  Clay,  Jasper  and  Effingham  Counties. 

Within  two  years  some  Methodist  brethren  moved  into 
the  settlement.  Soon  the  theological  battle  was  on,  and  for 
a  long  time  was  both  brave  and  bitter. 

This  church  developed  a  sturdy  stock  of  men  and  women, 
such  as  make  the  abiding  world  and  build  the  Kingdom  of 
God. 

The  Ingrahams,  Reads,  Lollars  and  Pixleys  blessed  their 
generation.  The  preachers  produced  were  remarkable  men. 
William  Ingraham  was  the  true  overseer  of  this  church  for 
forty  years.  Dorman,  Daniel  and  Williard  F.  Ingraham, 
William  Read  the  evangelist,  Jesse  B.  Shaddle  (who  gave 
over  four  years  to  his  country's  service),  G.  M.  and  F.  M. 
Lollar,  Gideon  Bryan,  Albert  Meacham  and  Thomas  Wood 
make  up  an  honorable  company. 

From  a  very  early  date  the  church  observed  its  annual 
meetings,  which  were  occasions  of  great  interest  and  rejoic- 
ing. The  Bible  school  was  organized  by  David  Hedrick,  a 
Moravian.  Later,  in  the  State  of  Washington,  he  united 
with  the  church  of  Christ. 

The  community  was  intensely  loyal  during  the  Civil  War. 

It  is  a  significant  fact  that  this  congregation  did  not  come 
to  the  weekly  observance  of  the  Lord's  Supper  till  1874. 

There  have  been  three  chapels.  The  first  w^as  built  of 
logs  in  1848;  the  second  of  brick  in  1853.  Major  Waller, 
of  the  M.  E.  Church,  preached  in  this  house  once  every 
month  for  a  year.  The  third — a  frame — was  built  in  1872. 
The  Methodist  brethren  had  the  free  use  of  this  house  also. 
Few  congrep^ations  have  a  record  that  surpassed  that  of  the 
Ingraham  Church. 


144  HISTORY    OF    THE    DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Liberty  Chapel  (Flora). 

Organized  1911,  by  C.  W.  Marlow ;  present  membership, 
22. 

This  church  is  located  five  miles  southwest  of  Flora.  It 
grew  out  of  the  desire  of  a  few  members  of  the  Oak  Mound 
congregation  for  a  more  convenient  place  to  worship.  They 
joined  with  the  United  Brethren  people  in  the  community 
in  building  a  chapel,  which  was  deeded  to  them,  but  used 
jointly.  A  union  Bible  school  was  maintained.  The  Disciples 
increased  in  the  community  and  the  U.  B.  people  decreased, 
so  a  legal  transfer  of  the  property  was  made  in  1911,  Min. 
C.  W.  Marlow  leading. 

The  Bible  school  is  up  to  date  and  a  training-class  doing 
good  work. 

Louisville. 

Present  membership,  82;  value  of  property,  $1,800;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  45. 

McKinney  (Sailor  Springs). 

Organized  1871;  present  membership,  96;  Bible-school 
enrollment,  85. 

This  church  is  located  on  Levitt  Prairie,  and  was  first 
known  by  that  name.  A  debate  was  held  in  the  neighbor- 
hood schoolhouse  in  1869  which  awakened  the  community. 
There  were  twenty-five  charter  members,  some  of  whom 
came  from  the  Cooper  congregation  a  few  miles  west,  and 
others  from  the  Slab  chapel  a  few  miles  east.  The  chapel 
was  built  in  1871.  The  first  elders  were  Daniel  Reed  and 
Joel  Wammack.  The  church  has  given  to  the  ministry  W. 
E.  Harlow  and  William  Crackel.  It  is  a  country  church  that 
persists  in  living  by  working. 

New  Bethlehem. 

This  is  five  miles  northeast  of  Flora. 


CHURCHES  145 

North  Harter  (Flora). 

Organized  1905,  by  E.  S.  Thompson ;  present  member- 
ship, 140;  value  of  property,  $1,350;  Bible  school  began 
1905 ;  present  enrollment,  100. 

This  church  is  located  five  miles  northeast  of  Flora.  It 
started  with  eighty- four  members,  some  coming  from  sur- 
rounding congregations.  Mr.  Thompson  was  the  efficient 
minister  for  five  years.  R.  L.  Brown  followed,  and  A.  R. 
Tucker  is  the  present  preacher.  Walter  Cox  led  to  gradua- 
tion fifteen  persons  in  Moninger's  'Training  for  Service." 
Jas.  L.  McDaniels  is  the  efficient  church  clerk. 

Oak  Mound  (Xenia). 

Present  membership,  98;  value  of  property,  $700;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  57. 

This  is  four  miles  north  of  Xenia.  It  was  recruited  from 
Old  Union.  Here  most  of  the  young  people  are  church-mem- 
bers. 

Old  Union   (Xenia). 

Present  membership,  60;  Bible-school  enrollment,  50. 
This  is  eleven  miles  west  of  Louisville. 

Red  Brush  (Louisville). 

Present  membership,  31;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  80. 

Sailor  Spj'ings. 

Present  membership,  80;  value  of  property,  $1,800;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  65. 

Union  Chapel  (Louisville). 

Present  membership,  71;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  47. 


146  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

Xenia. 

Organized  1865,  by  John  D.  Williams ;  present  member- 
ship, 45;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible-school  enrollment, 
58. 

The  first  officers  were  Gilliim  Henson  and  John  Dunn, 
elders ;  Hiram  Gibson  and  Jackson  Barker,  deacons.  The 
congregation  prospered  and  did  good  service  in  its  earlier 
years.  Then  a  period  of  wars,  led  by  ultra-conservatives,  set 
in  and  crippled  its  usefulness  for  a  long  time.  At  present 
there  are  some  signs  of  better  days. 

CLINTON    COUNTY. 

Keyesport. 

Present  membership,  100;  value  of  property,  $2,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,   50. 

COLES   COUNTY. 

Brick  (Westfield). 

Present  membership,  90;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,   180. 

This  church  is  located  about  twelve  miles  southeast  of 
Charleston.  It  is  under  the  direction  of  the  ultra-conserva- 
tives and  has  monthly  preaching. 

Bushton. 

Organized  187v3,  by  W.  F.  Black;  present  membership, 
200;  value  of  property,  $8,000;  Bible  school  began  1873; 
present  enrollment,  87. 

This  church  grew  out  of  a  meeting  by  Evangelist  Black. 
The  town  grew  after  the  building  of  the  railroad.  The  first 
house  of  worship  was  built  in  1874,  which  gave  place  in  1911 
to  a  modern  structure  during  the  pastorate  of  A.  P.  Cobb. 
This  church  is  made  up  chiefly  of  substantial  farmers  who 
are  growing  in  spiritual  interests. 


CHURCHES  147 

Charleston, 

Organized  1840,  by  Samuel  Pepper  and  Thomas  Good- 
man; present  membership,  1,150;  value  of  property,  includ- 
ing parsonage,  $23,500;  Bible  school  began  1854;  present 
enrollment,  471. 

jMessrs.  Pepper  and  Goodman  were  Christian  ministers. 
The  former  had  come  from  Kentucky  and  the  latter  was 
then  residing  in  Indiana.  They  came  to  Charleston,  where 
they  united  in  preaching  the  primitive  gospel  and  organizing 
the  church  of  Christ.  There  were  twelve  charter  members. 
Of  these,  the  names  of  James  Wiley  and  wife,  Stephen  Wiley 
and  wife  and  Susan  Dunbar  are  now  known. 

'The  tov/n  branch"  was  the  place  used  for  baptizing  in 
those  years. 

They  met  regularly  on  the  Lord's  Days  for  worship.  The 
first  meetings  were  held  in  a  storeroom  where  Bushrod  W. 
Henry,  with  other  pioneers,  preached.  From  1842-46  they 
met  in  the  courthouse.  Then  a  small  red-brick  chapel  was 
built  on  Madison  Street,  between  Ninth  and  Tenth.  This 
was  sold  to  the  Romanists  in  1860,  when  a  second  brick 
building  was  constructed  at  the  corner  of  Sixth  and  Van 
Buren  Streets.  This  was  sold  to  the  Episcopalians.  The 
present  modern  stone  edifice  was  erected  in  1905  during  the 
pastorate  of  J.  M.  Vawter. 

A  second  and  successful  attempt  was  made  to  organize  a 
Sunday  school  by  Susan  Dunbar  and  Leroy  Wiley  in  1854. 

In  1856,  Alexander  Campbell  spent  a  Lord's  Day  with 
the  church. 

In  the  years  agone  the  Wrights,  Mintons,  Dr.  Spears  and 
Dr.  Van  Meter  were  prominent  and  useful  families ;  later, 
Geo.  M.  Sefton.     All  have  passed  on. 

The  church  has  had  a  line  of  excellent  pastors. 

Miss  Edna  Eck  has  gone  out  as  a  missionary  and  is 
serving  at  Bolenge,  Africa. 

Charleston  is  the  location  of  one  of  the  State  Normal 
Schools  and  the  church  is  awake  to  its  opportunities. 


148  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Etna. 

Present  membership,  65;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  57. 

Humbolt. 

Organized  1858,  by  Thomas  Goodman ;  present  member- 
ship, 161 ;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1897; 
present  enrollment,  92. 

The  organization  was  made  with  seven  members  in  a 
schoolhouse  east  of  town.  Later  a  frame  chapel  was  built, 
but  not  completed.  During  the  sixties  and  seventies,  J.  W. 
Connor,  Sr.,  with  his  family,  resided  in  the  community.  He, 
with  his  sons — James,  Samuel  and  Americus — preached  at 
times  for  the  church.  With  their  removal  the  congregation 
declined.  It  was  revived  by  Evangelist  J.  S.  Clements  in 
1897  and  began  work  with  thirty-eight  members.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  E.  M.  Mullikin  were  the  prime  movers  in  this  revival 
of  the  church  and  are  yet  its  leading  force. 

The  church  has  had,  in  later  years,  ten  ministers. 

Mattoon. 

Organized  1859,  by  J.  C.  Mathes ;  present  membership, 
903;  value  of  property,  $18,000;  Bible  school  began  1862; 
present  enrollment,  530. 

In  its  early  years,  N.  S.  Bastian,  J.  R.  Lucas,  E.  L. 
Frazier,  J.  M.  Streator,  G.  F.  Adams  and  R.  B.  Roberts 
served  as  pastors. 

Oakland. 

Present  membership,  70;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  79. 

Prairie  Union  (Kansas). 

Organized  1868,  by  John  Callcord ;  present  membership, 
26;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1868;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  47. 

This  congregation  is  located  about  five  miles  northwest 


CHURCHES  149 

of  Kansas.  It  was  formed  in  the  neighborhood  schoolhouse, 
but  a  frame  chapel  was  soon  built,  which  is  still  in  use.  Its 
beginning  was  the  wish  of  farmers  and  landowners  of  the 
neighborhood  to  have  a  more  convenient  place  for  their 
public  worship.  They  held  membership  in  the  church  at 
Kansas;  so,  without  conference  or  formal  dismission,  but  in 
perfectly  good  feeling,  they  withdrew  and  began  to  keep 
house  nearer  their  homes.  Such  was  the  spirit  of  ultra- 
independence  in  those  years.  The  congregation  maintains 
preaching  one-half  time  and  a  small  Bible  school. 
It  has  given  Daniel  K.  Honn  to  the  ministry. 

Rural  Retreat  (Hindsboro). 

Organized  1857,  by  W.  F.  Black;  present  membership, 
86;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1857;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  100. 

This  congregation  was  formed  in  the  Wells',  later  known 
as  the  Wyeth,  Schoolhouse,  located  one  and  a  half  miles 
south  of  the  church  site.  The  chapel  was  built  in  1867  and 
is  located  four  miles  southwest  of  Hindsboro.  It  had  the 
services  of  about  twenty-five  ministers.  Although  depleted 
by  many  removals  and  death,  it  has  kept  up  its  public  wor- 
ship regularly.  From  it  the  churches  at  Bushton  and  Hinds- 
boro have  drawn  goodly  numbers. 

Its  most  prominent,  capable  and  noted  member  was  Miss 
Helen  E.  Turner,  who  became  Mrs.  Helen  E.  Moses,  who 
was  baptized  here. 

Walnut  Grove  (Humboldt). 

Organized  1887,  by  James  Steele  and  David  Cotman ; 
present  membership,  12;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible 
school  began  1889. 

This  congregation  is  located  about  eight  miles  east  and 
north  of  Flumboldt.  It  was  formed  in  the  Honn  Schoolhouse. 
The  charter  members  were  John  D.  Honn  and  wife,  Joseph 
Honn  and  wife,  A.  A.  Honn  and  wife,  Isaac  Honn  and  wife, 
George  Toland  and  wife,  A.    C.    Honn    and    wife,    Robert 


150         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

McAlister,  Mrs.  Rachel  Cafifer,  William  Newman,  J.  C. 
Toland  and  wife,  Mrs.  Mace  Jones,  her  son  H.  B.  and  daugh- 
ter Belle,  Isaac  W.  Mace  and  wife,  Mrs.  Jessie  Moler  and 
her  daughter  Martha.  The  first  elders  were  Robert  McAlis- 
ter, A.  A.  Honn,  George  Toland  and  Isaac  W.  Moler. 

A  chapel  was  built  the  same  year. 

Next,  by  changes  in  the  community,  the  work  failed  for 
several  years,  but  was  revived  in  1910. 

Hitesville  was  a  village  three  miles  southwest  of  the  site 
of  Kansas  in  the  early  years.  The  location  was  beautiful. 
The  church  that  grew  and  prospered  there  had  many  fine 
people.     It  became  extinct  in  1905. 

Stringtown  Church  was  about  six  miles  south  of  Charles- 
ton. For  many  years  it  was  active  and  useful,  but  finally 
yielded  to  the  law  of  change.  Frank  Spitler  was  its  last 
officer.  He  kept  it  going  for  years  by  his  own  efforts.  He 
was  a  faithful  member  who  went  home  in  1912. 

COOK    COUNTY. 

Beginnings. 

The  Disciples  of  Christ  in  the  United  States  have  always 
been  largely  a  rural  people.  It  took  them  fifty  years  to  learn 
how  to  do  church  work  in  the  cities.  But  during  this  period 
they  were  learning  many  other  things.  Chief  among  these 
was  the  meaning  and  application  of  the  basic  principles  of 
Christian  truth  that  gave  them  birth  and  being. 

In  April,  1837,  David  Cory  wrote  from  Athens,  which 
was  about  thirty  miles  from  Chicago,  saying  that  he  had 
found  only  about  ten  Disciples  in  the  county,  and  he  appealed 
for  a  preacher  to  come  to  them. 

In  1843  some  work  was  done  in  Chicago  looking  to  the 
formation  of  a  church  wearing  only  the  name  ''Christian"  and 
appealing  only  to  the  word  of  God  as  the  all-sufficient  rule 
of  faith  and  practice.  A  Minister  Saunders,  from  Ohio, 
organized  this  mission.  These  people  held  the  materialistic 
views  of  John  Thomas.    In  September,  1846,  M.  H.  Baldwin 


CHURCHES  151 

and  wife,  of  Cleveland,  O.,  united  with  this  mission. 
Next  year  J.  Reese  and  Miss  Laura  Balch,  of  Detroit,  Mich., 
joined.  In  1848,  Piatt  Saunders  and  wife,  from  Mar- 
shall, Mich.,  and  Dr.  L.  S.  Major  and  wife,  from  Bloom- 
ington.  111.,  united  with  the  mission  church.  In  1849 
materialism  led  to  harmful  discussions  in  the  public  worship ; 
so  Mr.  L.  C.  P.  Freer  proposed  separation  from  the  more 
recently  received  members,  who  were  called  ''Campbellites." 

Early  in  1850  the  first  church  of  the  Restoration  move- 
ment was  formed  in  Chicago.  The  charter  members  were 
Dr.  L.  S.  Major,  Piatt  Saunders  and  wife,  M.  H.  Baldwin 
and  wife,  J.  Reese  and  Miss  Laura  Balch,  who  afterward 
became  Mrs.  Dickey.  Lathrop  Cooley,  of  Ohio,  was  the 
preacher.  Mr.  Baldwin  was  chosen  elder,  and  Mr.  Saunders, 
deacon.  From  that  day  to  this  the  divinely  appointed  worship 
has  been  maintained  by  the  Disciples  there  on  every  Lord's 
Day. 

At  that  time  the  population  was  twenty-five  thousand,  and 
there  was  not  a  church  building  of  any  denomination  better 
than  a  one-story,  flat-roofed,  square-front  frame. 

The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  residence  of  Mr.  Bald- 
win, then  in  an  upper  room  at  the  corner  of  Lake  and  Clark 
Streets,  and  next  in  the  old  city  hall,  and  then  in  a  school- 
house  in  the  center  of  the  city.  In  the  latter,  M.  N.  Lord 
began  his  ministry. 

The  first  addition  to  the  church  was  a  man  named  White. 
He  had  been  converted  while  serving  in  the  English  Army 
and  was  a  guard  over  Napoleon.  In  1850,  James  Brenner 
and  Dr.  J.  H.  Millinger  and  wife  united  with  the  church. 
The  first  to  make  the  good  confession  and  be  baptized  were 
Mrs.  D.  M.  Clark  and  Mrs.  Ann  Harris. 

In  1852  the  church  raised  $300,  and  Lathrop  Cooley,  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  served  as  pastor  for  a  year  or  more.  He 
was  succeeded  by  M.  N.  Lord.  In  1854,  Love  H.  Jameson, 
of  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  conducted  a  three  weeks'  meeting 
in  the  city  hall,  with  no  additions.  This  much  disappointed 
and  discouraged  the  church. 


152  HISTORY    OF   THE    DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

In  1857  a  frame  chapel  was  started  on  West  Monroe, 
near  Rucker  Street,  which  was  finished  and  dedicated  by  D. 
P.  Henderson,  July  4,  1858.  This  property  was  never  fully 
paid  for.  But  in  the  meantime  a  considerable  number  with- 
drew from  the  church  on  mere  differences  of  opinion,  and 
the  meetings  were  held  in  the  old  federal  courtroom. 

In  the  new  chapel,  Min.  W.  H.  Hopson  held  a  four 
weeks'  meeting  which  brought,  among  others,  to  the  church 
Mrs.  M.  D.  Raggio,  for  many  years  one  of  the  most  devoted 
Christians  in  the  city. 

In  1861,  Mr.  Lord  again  resigned,  after  a  pastorate  of 
eight  years.  He,  with  others,  had  served  earnestly  and  well, 
but  the  lack  of  spiritual  vision  had  been  such  during  the 
decade  that  the  church  numbered  only  120  members.  During 
the  Civil  War  the  church  was  served  by  N.  S.  Bastian,  W. 
F.  Black  and  J.  S.  Sweeney.  During  the  occupancy  of  this 
chapel,  among  its  members  there  were  A.  M.  Atkinson,  Ben 
Davenport,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Honore,  Mrs.  Abigail 
Keeler,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Lichtenberger,  Mrs.  E.  B.  Stevens,  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Warriner  and  their  daughter  Belle. 

For  a  short  time  the  congregation  met  in  a  room  of  the 
old  Crosby  Opera-house  and  then  transferred  to  the  North 
Side.  The  old  St.  James  Episcopal  Church  at  Cass  and 
Illinois  Streets  was  rented.  Dr.  W.  A.  Belding,  Benj.  H. 
Smith  and  D.  P.  Henderson  preached  here.  It  was  during 
that  time  that  Ira  J.  Chase  and  W.  B.  Hendryx  were  ordained 
to  the  ministry,  and  W.  B.  Craig  was  baptized  there.  In 
1868,  through  the  influence  of  Dr.  Belding,  Mr.  H.  H. 
Honore  and  Dr.  L.  S.  Major  paid  $5,000  each  to  a  church- 
building  fund.  The  chapel  and  lot  on  the  South  Side,  at 
Sixteenth  Street  and  Wabash  Avenue,  were  bought  and  paid 
for.  The  congregation  moved  into  it.  D.  P.  Henderson, 
Isaac  Errett  and  J.  S.  Sweeney  were  the  ministers,  Mr. 
Sweeney  continuing  till  1871.  In  1869  the  church  divided. 
The  forty  who  withdrew,  led  by  D.  P.  Henderson,  formed 
a  congregation  and  met  first  in  the  chapel  of  the  Orphan 
Asylum    on    Michigan    Avenue,    south    of    Twenty-second 


CHURCHES  153 

Street.  Mr.  E.  B.  Stevens  gave  this  congregation  the  lot  at 
the  corner  of  Indiana  Avenue  and  Twenty-fifth  Street.  On 
this  a  two-story  frame  building  was  erected  and  used.  It 
was  never  fully  paid  for,  and  twenty  years  later  was  lost 
under  mortgage.  O.  A.  Burgess  succeeded  Mr.  Henderson. 
The  great  fire,  Oct.  9,  1871,  reunited  the  two  congregations, 
and  the  worship  was  at  the  Twenty-fifth  Street  place.  P 
was  known  as  the  First  Christian  Church.  The  congregation 
was  served  by  Knowles  Shaw,  T.  J.  Toof,  W.  J.  Howe,  S. 
M.  Connor  and  Isaac  Errett.  For  a  few  years  Potter  Palmer 
and  wife  were  members  here.  The  Disciples  in  Chicago  dur- 
ing those  years  were  prolific  in  differences  and  dissensions ; 
so,  about  1878,  this  congregation  again  divided.  At  the 
Sunday  morning  meeting  when  the  question  of  separation 
was  discussed  and  decided,  Timothy  Coop,  a  highly  esteemed 
English  brother,  was  present  and  expressed  his  surprise  and 
distress  of  rnind.  The  fifty  members  who  withdrew  rented 
of  the  Congregationalists  their  chapel  at  South  Park  Avenue 
and  Thirty-third  Street.  W.  D.  Owen  was  pastor  there. 
A.bout  twenty-five  years  afterward  he  was  expatriated.  In 
a  year  the  congregation  moved  to  the  old  Memorial  Baptist 
chapel  on  Oakwood  Boulevard  near  Cottage  Grove  Avenue. 
Irving  A.  Searles,  J.  L.  Parsons  and  Barton  W.  Johnson 
preached  there.  Late  in  1880  the  congregation  moved  to 
Thirtieth  Street  and  Prairie  Avenue,  renting  the  brick  chapel 
that  stood  there.  In  October,  J.  W.  Allen  began  a  two  years' 
pastorate.  In  September,  1882,  the  two  churches  united. 
They  had  increased  numerically  little,  if  any,  during  the 
period  of  separation.  Meanwhile  the  First  Church  was 
served  by  Geo.  W.  Sweeney  and  O.  A.  Burgess.  The 
reunited  church  was  known  as  the  Central  Church  of 
Christ,  and  the  place  of  worship  was  the  Prairie  Avenue 
chapel.  In  December,  1885,  Henry  Schell  Lobingier  came 
to  the  pastorate,  and  the  next  year  the  church  returned  to 
the  building  at  Twenty-fifth  Street.  Following  Mr.  Lobin- 
gier's  resignation,  Z.  T.  Sweeney  and  G.  B.  Berry  supplied 
the  pulpit,  and  then  Calvin  S.  Blackwell  was  pastor  for  two 


154  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

and  one-half  years.  In  1887  the  Central  Church  began  to 
erect  a  new  house  on  Indiana  Avenue  near  Thirty-seventh 
Street.  It  was  used  for  some  eighteen  years,  when  it 
passel  by  the  mortgage  route.  W.  F.  Black  left  the  evan- 
gelistic field  in  1890  and  became  pastor  of  this  congregation. 
For  some  years  it  prospered.  C.  S.  Medbury  entered  the 
Christian  ministry  from  this  church.  When  they  no  longer 
had  a  home,  some  of  the  members,  with  Mr.  Black,  met  for 
worship  in  the  Masonic  Home,  until  increasing  bodily  disa- 
bilities ended  his  work  and  his  life.  Other  members  of  the 
Central  formed  the  First  Church  in  1899,  which  was  united 
with  the  Memorial  Baptist. 

In  all  this  migratory  and  painful  pilgrimage  of  more 
than  half  a  century  not  a  few  were  found  faithful  and  have 
gone  to  the  heavenly  rest;  others  deserted  the  Captain's 
flag  in  the  days  of  battle. 

Armitage  Avenue  Church. 

This  is  a  small  congregation  in  the  northwest  part  of  the 
city. 

Armour   Avenue    Christian    Church    (negro;    3621    Armour 

Avenue). 

Organized  1888,  by  Wm.  G.  F.  Reed :  present  member- 
ship, 150;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 40. 

Minister  Reed,  with  eight  members,  was  the  beginning. 
Through  feebleness  and  lack  of  help,  the  effort  failed  and 
the  property  used  for  meetings  at  2919  Dearborn  Street  was 
sold  by  the  Chicago  Missionary  Society  in  1893,  and  the 
proceeds  used  in  buying  another  church  home.  Then  for 
ten  years  the  little  band  led  a  wandering  and  forlorn  life. 
In  1903  Min.  M.  T.  Brown  came  to  the  pastorate.  The 
present  property  was  then  purchased  and  the  congregation 
took  on  new  life.  F.  C.  Cothran  served  three  years,  when 
G.  Calvin  Campbell  came  in  1911.  Under  his  leading  the 
church  prospers.     The  property  is  fully  paid  for,  and  there 


CHURCHES  155 

is  a  C.  W.  B.  M.  and  a  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.     Richard  Mathews 
has  been  faithful  through  all  these  years. 

There  are  about  sixty  thousand  negroes  in  Chicago,  and 
the  thought  of  their  redemption  is  distressing  except  to 
Christian   faith. 

Ashland  Christian  Church  (Sixty-second  and  Laflin  vStreets). 

Organized  1899,  by  J.  F.  Findley ;  present  membership, 
298;  value  of  property,  $6,000;  Bible  school  began  1897; 
present  enrollment,  220. 

This  church  had  its  beginning  in  the  heart's  desire  of  a 
good  Christian  man.  In  May,  1897,  W.  K.  McGregor  formed 
an  undenominational  school  and  mission  called  *'The  Work- 
ingmen's  Mission."  It  united  Bible  teaching  with  social 
features,  providing  a  place  where  men  tempted  by  saloon 
influences  could  meet  for  mutual  helpfulness.  This  efifort 
grew  steadily  through  two  years.  Then  came  Min.  J.  F. 
Findley  in  an  evangelistic  meeting.  There  were  about  fifty 
charter  members.  Being  compelled  to  move  to  Sixty-third 
Street,  near  Center  Avenue,  the  life  of  the  little  church  was 
thereby  imperiled,  but  God  led  them  into  their  own  modest 
chapel  in  September,  1902. 

Other  than  Mr.  Findley,  the  church  has  been  served  by 
Guy  Hoover,  C.  M.  Sharp,  Guy  Hargot,  W.  R.  Moffett  and 
J.  F.  Futcher,  who  is  now  in  his  sixth  year.  In  its  earlier 
years  it  was  fostered  by  the  Chicago  City  Missionary  Board. 
"Every  phase  of  church  work  is  active  and  growing.  Over 
and  over  again  have  we  proved  in  our  individual  lives  that 
God's  grace  and  tender  love  always  have  met  our  every 
human  need." 

Austin. 

About  1893,  Min.  A.  Larabee  interested  a  few  members 
of  the  Monroe  Street  Church  in  starting  a  mission  in  this 
growing  and  inviting  suburb.  Assisted  by  Pastor  Strickland, 
of  the  Douglas  Park  Church,  meetings  were  held  on  Sunday 
afternoons  in  vacant  halls  or  empty  storerooms.     The  work 


156  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

grew  encouragingly.  George  A.  Campbell  became  pastor, 
and  moved  to  Austin  in  1898.  The  chapel  vacated  by  the 
Baptists  was  purchased  in  1902.  With  a  fixed  home,  the 
congregation  prospered.  In  1908  this  building  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  and  then  the  members  were  nomads.  But  a  com- 
manding lot  was  bought  and  a  good  building  completed  in 
1910. 

Among  those  who  have  given  fine  service  here  were  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  L.  S.  Major,  who  were  pioneers  in  the  church  in 
Chicago;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  O.  Cline,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  A. 
Vandercook  and  family  and  Mrs.  O.  A.  Kearney  and  sons. 

Chicago  Heights. 

Present  membership,  300;  value  of  property,  $30,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  300. 

The  Englewood  Church  fostered  this  mission  and  helped 
it  to  self-support. 

Douglas    Park    Church    of    Christ    (Nineteenth    Street    and 
Spaulding  Avenue). 

Organized  1895,  by  E.  W.  Darst ;  present  membership, 
150;  value  of  property,  $12,000;  Bible  school  began  1895; 
present  enrollment,  200. 

In  the  spring  of  1894,  Messrs.  H.  F.  Layton  and  A.  Lar- 
abee,  with  others,  started  a  Sunday  school  on  Ogden,  near 
Kedzie  Avenue.  It  was  successful  from  its  beginning.  In 
May  and  June,  City  Evangelist  E.  W.  Darst  held  a  series 
of  meetings.  Membeis  of  the  Jackson  Boulevard  Church 
assisted,  and  Christian  ministers  of  the  city.  There  were 
thirty  charter  members.  G.  W.  Doolittle  and  E.  W.  Reynolds 
were  elected  deacons.  Mr.  Revnolds  served  also  as  the  very 
efficient  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school.  Trustees  were 
also  chosen.  The  pastors  were  C.  B.  Edson.  Geo.  A.  Camp- 
bell, Mr.  Infield,  H.  J.  Underwood,  John  Williams  and  C.  L. 
Wait,  who  served  six  years. 

In  the  fall  of  1899' the  meetings  went  to  a  hall  at  1812 
W.  Twenty-second  Street,  the  next  spring  to  a  storeroom  at 


CHURCHES  -  157 

Ogden  and  St.  Louis  Avenues.  During  Mr.  CampbelFs  pas- 
torate lots  were  purchased  on  Turner  Avenue,  near  Sixteenth 
Street,  and  on  these  a  tabernacle  was  built,  largely  by  the 
volunteer  labor  of  the  members,  in  October,  1901.  In  1911 
this  property  was  sold  to  the  Board  of  Education.  Mean- 
while, F.  C.  Aldinger,  S.  M.  Schoonover,  Mr.  McBean,  Harry 
F.  Burns  and  Vaughn  Dabney  served  as  pastors.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1911,  the  Douglas  Park  Congregational  Church  invited 
the  church  to  meet  with  them  for  public  worship  in  their 
church  home.  These  union  services  were  maintained  until 
the  following  March,  when  this  property  was  bought  by  the 
Douglas  Park  Church  of  Christ. 

Englezvood  Church  of  Christ    (Stewart   Avenue   and   Sixty- 
sixth  Place). 

Organized  1885,  bv  Henry  Cogswell ;  present  membership, 
600;  value  of  property,  $55,000;  Bible  school  began  1885; 
present  enrollment,  600. 

In  a  room  on  Sixty-third  Street  and  Yale  Avenue,  Sep- 
tember 20,  ten  adults  from  the  Calkins,  Palm  and  Caldwell 
families,  led  by  Polio  Calkins,  met  and  covenanted  together 
and  so  formed  this  church.  Soon  after,  Dr.  Jonathan  Pettit 
attached  his  name.  Mr.  Cogswell  and  Edward  O.  Sharp 
served  as  pastors  till  the  close  of  1886.  During  the  next 
year.  Dr.  W.  A.  Belding  served.  He  was  a  tireless  servant 
of  God  and  a  fine  leader.  A  lot  was  bought  on  the  east  side 
of  Dickey  Street,  now  Eggleston  Avenue,  south  of  Sixty- 
fourth  Street,  and  a  septagon  chapel,  costing  $3,000,  built 
thereon.  By  an  addition  made  thereto  in  189v3,  costing 
$3,500,  the  seating  capacity  was  more  than  doubled.  Its 
ugliness  repelled  all  those  whose  carnal  pride  was  stronger 
than  their  Christian  faith.  B.  H.  Hayden  began  a  four 
years'  fruitful  ministry  in  January,  1888.  During  a  part  of 
this  period  the  church  was  helped  by  appropriations  from 
the  State  missionary  treasury.  N.  S.  Haynes  followed  in  a 
six  and  two-thirds  years'  pastorate,  during  which  the  church 
made  substantial  progress.     Then  came  E.  A.  Cantrell  in  a 


158         HISTORY  OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

short  ministry.  C.  G.  Kindred  became  pastor  in  December, 
1899,  and  continues  to  the  present  time.  He  is  a  man  of 
great  faith  in  Providence,  and  with  him  the  church  has  gone 
forward  to  splendid  achievements.  In  1901  it  paid  its  mort- 
gage debt.  In  1902  it  became  a  Hving  hnk  in  the  Foreign 
Missionary  Society,  supporting  one  of  its  own  daughters, 
Mrs.  LilHan  Chalman  Shaw,  in  China.  In  1904  it  became 
a  Hnk  in  the  Home  Society,  taking  Chicago  Heights  as  its 
mission  point.  By  about  this  time  the  church  had  gathered 
$8,000  into  a  new-building  fund.  In  1905  it  sold  its  prop- 
erty on  Eggleston  Avenue  and  moved  into  its  new  home  on 
Stewart  Avenue  that  it  had  bought  from  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterians.  It  is  a  stone  structure  and  cost,  with  the 
contiguous  lot  and  residence  on  its  north  side,  $21,500.  In 
1911  the  church  negotiated  a  loan  of  $6,000,  mortgaging  its 
own  property,  to  assist  the  Chicago  Heights  congregation  in 
the  erection  of  its  own  fine  edifice.  An  annex  to  the  Engle- 
wood  building  for  the  use  of  the  Bible  school  was  finished 
in  1913.  It  is  of  brick,  cost  $18,000  and  has  twelve  class- 
rooms. The  church  and  all  of  its  departments  are  well 
officered  and  organized,  and  all  do  efficient  service.  The 
budget  for  1911  showed  $8,752  in  disbursements,  of  which 
$2,419  went  to  general  benevolences.  And  by  Chicago 
standards  there  are  no  rich  people  in  this  church. 

It  has  given  to  the  ministry  C.  W.  Dean,  Clark  W.  Cum- 
mings  and  Charles  J.  Adams,  with  William  Madison  prepar- 
ing for  medical  missionary.  To  write  a  few  names  here  of 
the  men  and  women  who  have  under  God  made  this  record 
would  be  an  injustice  to  many  others.  Not  a  few  of  them 
are  the  incarnation  of  cultured  Christian  conscience.  The 
presence  here  of  Joseph  Badenoch,  Sr.,  and  his  wife  for  a 
term  of  years  was  a  benediction  and  of  fragrant  memories. 

In  prayerfulness  and  missionary  zeal,  in  wise  perspective 
and  indomitable  adherence  to  high  aims,  in  liberality,  hospi- 
tality and  spiritual  democracy,  in  forbearance  and  fraternity 
and  all  good  works,  the  Englewood  Church  of  Christ  holds 
the  first  place  among  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  Illinois. 


CHURCHES  159 

Evanston   Christian   Church    (Maple   Avenue   and   Greenleaf 

Street). 

Organized  1896,  by  W.  B.  Taylor  and  E.  W.  Darst;  pres- 
ent membership,  135;  value  of  property,  $15,000;  Bible 
school  began  1896;  present  enrollment,  150. 

The  first  meetings  were  conducted  in  the  residence  of 
Mr.  M.  O.  Naramore  on  Sunday  afternoons,  beginning 
Nov.  2,  1895,  by  W.  B.  Taylor,  then  pastor  of  the  North 
Side  Church,  Chicago.  Jan.  5,  1896,  City  Evangelist  E.  W. 
Darst  began  an  eleven  weeks'  series  of  meetings  held  in 
Union  Hall. 

Forty-two  people  turned  to  the  Lord  and  thirty-four  were 
received  by  letters  and  on  statements,  so  there  were  seventy- 
six  charter  members.  Among  these  were  E.  E.  Starkey  and 
wife.  Dr.  R.  C.  Knox  and  wife,  J.  W.  Work  and  wife,  and 
M.  O.  Naramore  and  wife. 

Other  ministers  who  have  served  this  church  were  E.  S. 
Ames,  A.  L.  Chapman,  W.  C.  Payne,  E.  V.  Zollars,  W.  D. 
Ward,  and  now  O.  F.  Jordan. 

Harvey  Christian  Church  (Turlington  Avenue,  between  153d 
and  154th  Streets). 

Organized  1892,  by  C  H.  Knapp ;  present  membership, 
209;  value  of  property,  $15,000;  Bible  school  began  1892; 
present  enrollment,  234. 

The  charter  members  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  G.  R.  and  Miss 
Mary  E.  Kenyon,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  H.  Joslyn,  Mrs.  Maggie 
Nichols,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  M.  Masher,  Mr',  and  Mrs.  John 
Scoan,  Mrs.  Jessie  Marr,  Mrs.  C.  R.  Palmer  and  Mrs.  W. 
W.  Wood. 

Meetings  were  held  in  various  places  until  1905,  when 
the  present  location  was  secured.  The  building  was  com- 
pleted in  1906. 

The  pastors  who  served  the  church  were  J.  M.  McKay, 
J.  S.  Clements,  W.  W.  Denham,  F.  D.  Ferrall,  T.  A.  Linden- 
meyer,  W.  E.  Orr,  Robert  Wilson,  J.  J.  Higgs,  S.  G.  Buck- 


160  HISTORY    OF   THE    DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

ner,  W.  D.  Enders,  and  for  two  years  Asa  McDaniel  has 
been  the  faithful  minister.  The  work  grows  and  the  outlook 
is  encouraging. 

Hyde   Park    Church    of   Disciples   of    Christ    (Fifty-seventh 
Street  and  Lexington  Avenue). 

Organized  1894,  by  H.  L.  Willett ;  present  membership, 
200;  value  of  property,  $7,000;  Bible  school  began  1894; 
present  enrollment,   100. 

Prof.  W.  D.  MacClintock  was  also  active  in  the  forma- 
tion of  this  church.  Meetings  were  first  held  in  the  Masonic 
Hall  on  Fifty-seventh  Street,  east  of  Washington  Avenue, 
and  later  in  Rosalie  Hall.  Mr.  Errett  Gates  succeeded  Mr. 
Willett  in  the  pastorate,  and  during  this  period  the  present 
cliapel  was  built  on  the  lots  owned  by  the  Disciples'  Divinity 
House.     E.  S.  Ames  has  served  as  pastor  since  1900. 

In  this  congregation  "one  of  the  most  important  features 
has  been  the  adoption  of  a  plan  by  which  Christian  union 
could  be  practically  and  effectively  realized.  This  plan  does 
not  assume  to  change  the  terms  of  church  membership  as 
taught  and  practiced  by  the  great  body  of  Disciples.  It 
simply  recognizes  'members  of  the  congregation'  as  well  as 
of  the  church  in  the  technical  sense.  This  plan  has  been 
employed  since  1903  with  the  happiest  results.  It  has  not 
caused  the  slightest  friction  here." 

The  church  includes  forceful  people,  and  is  active  in 
many  philanthropic  and  charitable  agencies  of  the  city.  For 
a  time  it  supported  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Guy  Sarvis  as  missionaries 
in  China.  The  congregation  continues  its  $600  yearly  to  the 
Foreign  Society. 

Irving  Park    Church    (North    Forty-third    Street   and    West 
Cullom  Avenue). 

Organized  1898,  by  E.  W.  Darst  and  A.  Larabee ;  present 
membership,  240;  value  of  property,  $10,000;  Bible  school 
began  1898;  present  enrollment,  250. 

In  May,   1898,  the  City  Missionary   Society   decided  to 


CHURCHES  161 

establish  a  church  in  this  place,  which  is  one  of  Chicago's 
most  beautiful  residence  sections.  Three  fine  lots  were  rented 
and  a  temporary  structure  built  thereon.  City  Evangelist 
E.  W.  Darst,  assisted  by  A.  Larabee,  conducted  a  six  weeks' 
series  of  meetings.  The  formation  of  the  church  followed. 
George  A.  Ragan  became  the  pastor  in  October  following. 
The  south  wing  of  the  permanent  building  was  occupied  the 
next  month,  which  is  now  the  Bible-school  room.  Marion 
Stevenson  came  to  this  pastorate  in  April,  1901.  The  main 
part  of  the  building  was  occupied  in  October,  1903.  Then 
came  J.  R.  Ewers,  W.  F.  Rothenberger,  A.  W.  Taylor  and 
C.  C.  Buckner,  who  is  in  the  fourth  year  of  his  pastorate. 
During  Mr.  Taylor's  term  the  Bible-school  room  was  enlarged 
and  fitted  into  a  gymnasium.  The  building  proper  was 
finished  and  paid  for  after  Mr.  Buckner  cam.e.  It  is  a  frame 
without  architectural  beauty,  but  meets  the  present  needs  of 
the  congregation. 

The  church  is  well  organized  and  is  aggressive.  Its  most 
valuable  asset  is  a  group  of  men  and  women  who  are  growing 
in  all  Christian  graces. 

The  Men's  Club  of  this  church  was  largely  instrumental 
in  forming  the  Federated  Men's  Club  of  Irving  Park,  the 
object  of  which  is  to  promote  and  secure  political  and  civic 

Jackson  Boulevard  Church. 

Organized  1873,  by  George  G.  Mullins ;  present  member- 
ship, 800;  value  of  property,  $54,000;  Bible  school  began 
1873 ;  present  enrollment,  650. 

This  church  was  first  known  as  the  West  Side  Christian 
Church.  There  were  about  thirty-five  original  members. 
The  meetings  were  first  held  for  a  few  months  in  the  Jeffer- 
son Park  Presbyterian  Church.  Then  it  had  a  wandering 
life  till  1878,  when  it  rented  fifty  feet  of  ground  on  Western 
Avenue,  near  Congress  Street,  and  placed  thereon  a  frame 
chapel,  which  was  purchased  of  the  Church  of  God.  Later 
the  rented  lots  were  bought  and  about  $5,000  used  in  repairs 
on  the  building, 


162       HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

After  Mr.  Mullins,  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  Knowles 
Shaw;  A.  J.  White,  pastor  two  years;  A.  J.  Laughlin,  one 
year;  J.  H.  Wright,  one  year;  F.  M.  Kirkham,  and  B.  W. 
Johnson. 

In  1877,  through  dissensions,  the  congregation  divided. 
Those  who  went  out  formed  the  Oakley  Avenue  Church  and 
built  a  brick  chapel  in  1878.  They  continued  till  1895,  when 
they  united  with  the  Garfield  Park  congregation. 

J.  W.  Allen,  in  1882,  began  a  very  successful  pastorate 
of  thirteen  years.  In  1891  the  lots  on  Jackson  Boulevard 
were  bought  and  the  basement  of  the  present  building  con- 
structed. This  was  used  until  1901,  when  the  edifice  was 
finished  during  the  second  period  of  J.  W.  Allen's  pastorate. 
Since  then  the  congregation  has  worn  its  present  local  name. 
In  1895,  J.  H.  O.  Smith,  and  in  1898,  Bruce  Brown,  each 
began  pastorates  of  two  to  three  years ;  Lloyd  Darsie  next 
served  three  years,  and  was  followed  by  the  brave  and 
beloved  Parker  Stockdale,  who  fell  on  the  front  line  of  battle. 

In  September,  1901,  this  church  and  the  "Union  Christian 
Church,"  worshiping  at  the  People's  Institute,  united,  Roland 
A.  Nichols  becoming  the  pastor.  Austin  Hunter  became 
pastor  in  1910.  The  church  is  well  officered  and  organized, 
and  is  active,  harmonious  and  prosperous. 

In  1911  property  adjoining  the  church  lots  on  the  east 
was  bought,  and  is  used  for  social  and  other  activities.  It  is 
known  as  "The  Annex." 

Of  the  charter  members,  three  remain — Mrs.  D.  M. 
Clark,  Mrs.  Maggie  Viete  and  Edwin  Stewart,  who  has  long 
been  a  faithful  servant  and  officer. 

Kendall  Street  Church   (Kendall   Street,  near  Polk  Street). 

Organized  in  1865. 

James  Bremner,  Joseph  Badenoch  and  other  worthy 
Scotchmen  formed  this  congregation.  They  came  from  the 
old  First  Church  while  it  met  on  the  West  Side.  They  have 
been  ministered  to  only  by  their  elders,  but  have  given  to 
the  kingdom  many  worthy  servants. 


CHURCHES  163 

Memorial    Church    of    Christ    (Oakwood    Boulevard,    near 
Cottage  Grove  Avenue). 

Organized  1908:  present  membership,  600;  value  of  prop- 
erty, S90,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  270. 

The  Memorial  Baptist  Church  was  organized  Oct.  19, 
1881.  It  grew  out  of  the  University  Place  Baptist,  which 
was  formed  Dec.  6,  1868.  The  young  men  who  have  gone 
out  from  this  membership  to  preach  the  gospel  are  J.  C. 
Chapin,  C.  A.  Lemon,  C.  J.  Price,  W.  P.  Behan,  Ph.D., 
C.  A.  Callup,  Fred  Merrifield  and  Mr.  Ernest  A.  Clement, 
who  made  a  name  for  himself  in  Japan. 

The  First  Christian  Church  was  organized  in  April,  1899. 
The  Presbyterian  Church  at  Wabash  Avenue  and  Thirtieth 
Street  was  secured  as  a  meeting-place.  The  pastors  who 
served  here  were  Frank  G.  Terrell,  J.  W.  Allen,  Guv  Hoover 
and  H.  L.  Willett,  with  R.  L.  Hondley  and  William  C.  Hull 
as  assistants. 

The  Memorial  Church  of  Christ  (Baptist  and  Disciples) 
came  into  being  June  17,  1908.  The  Memorial  Baptist 
Church  changed  its  name  as  above,  and  on  June  19,  308 
members  of  the  First  Church  of  Christ  united  with  the 
Memorial  Church  of  Christ  (Baptist  and  Disciples).  Mr. 
V/illett  served  as  pastor  till  January,  1913,  and  was  succeeded 
by  E.  Le  Roy  Dakin. 

All  offerings  for  general  benevolences  are  divided  equally 
between  the  two  bodies. 

Metropolitan  Church  of  Christ    (Van    Buren    and    Leavitt 

Streets). 

Organized  1897,  by  J.  H.  O.  Smith;  present  membership, 
500;  value  of  property,  $100,000;  Bible  school  began  1897; 
present  enrollment,  300. 

The  great  building  known  as  the  People's  Institute  was 
erected  by  a  stock  company  as  a  center  for  civic  righteous- 
ness. Finally  the  building  was  sold.  The  Union  Christian 
Church  was  organized  there  July   15,   1897,   at  the  request 


164  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

of  the  Chicago  Christian  Ministerial  Association.  There 
were  218  charter  members.  For  four  years  Mr.  Smith  led 
this  work  successfully.  Upon  his  withdrawal,  Evangelist  C. 
R.  Scoville  came  to  it.  He,  with  W.  B.  Taylor,  city  mis- 
sionary, and  part  of  the  membership,  decided  that  it  was 
better  to  reorganize  the  church  and  to  change  the  name  to 
the  present  one.  This  was  done  in  January,  1902,  with  107 
members.  Other  members  went  to  other  congregations.  In 
May,  1903,  the  Institute  was  rendered  unfit  for  use  by  a  fire, 
so  the  congregation  passed  that  summer  in  a  large  tent.  In 
August  the  church  bought  property,  116x125  feet,  two 
blocks  west,  at  Oakley  and  Van  Buren  Streets,  for  $30,000, 
which  it  still  owns.  A  temporary  building  was  erected  on 
the  inside  lot,  the  other  being  covered  with  storerooms  and 
fiats.  Meanwhile,  the  owner  of  the  Institute  property  died 
and  it  was  sold  at  sheriff's  sale.  The  Metropolitan  Church, 
led  by  Mr.  Scoville,  bought  it  for  $35,000  cash.  On  both 
properties  there  is  a  total  indebtedness  of  $40,000.  This 
property,  with  repairs  and  an  addition,  had  cost  about 
$110,000.  The  great  building  has  an  auditorium,  music-hall, 
storerooms  on  the  ground  floor,  two  lodge  halls,  music 
studios,  nine  doctors'  ofiices,  church  library  and  reading- 
room,  two  clubrooms  for  boys,  a  gymnasium  45  x  80  feet 
^'which  at  present  is  leased  for  the  school  work  to  the  Board 
-ji  Education),  a  ladies'  exchangee-room,  kitchen,  etc.  The 
formal  occupancy  of  this  fine  building  took  place  in  February, 
1913,  amid  much  rejoicing. 

In  all  this  work  the  resident  pastor,  John  D.  Hull,  has 
been  the  capable  and  consecrated  helper  and  leader. 

The  Metropolitan  is  well  located,  and  its  possibilities  of 
great  Christian  service  are  limitless. 

Monroe  Street  Church    (corner   Monroe  and   Francisco 

Streets). 

Organized  1^91;  present  membership,  140;  value  of 
property,  $21,375;  Bible  school  began  1887;  present  enroll- 
ment, 73. 


CHURCHES  165 

A  mission  Sunday  school  was  formed  and  fostered  by 
the  Western  Avenue  Church,  and  out  of  this  school  this 
congregation  grew.  C.  F.  Saunders,  J.  H.  Trunkey,  C.  M. 
Mershon,  J.  H.  Norton  and  Virgil  Fry  were  prominent  in 
this  work.  J.  W.  Ingram  was  the  first  pastor.  The  first 
house  of  worship,  costing  $3,500,  built  on  a  lot  costing 
$S,000,  was  built  in  1892.  In  1895  a  union  of  this  congre- 
gation with  the  First  Christian  Church,  then  meeting  on 
Oakley  Avenue,  near  Adams  Street,  was  effected.  This 
brought  to  the  church  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  Larabee  and  Mrs. 
M.  D.  Raggio,  who  were  very  useful  servants  of  the  Lord. 
At  that  time  the  present  name  of  the  congregation  was 
adopted.  Before  this  time  it  was  known  as  Garfield  Park 
Church. 

The  pastors  following  Mr.  Ingram  were  Charles  B. 
Edson,  C.  A.  Young,  C.  C.  Morrison,  E.  A.  Ott,  A.  T. 
Campbell  (two  terms)  and  I.  R.  Lines.  During  Mr.  Morri- 
son's pastorate  the  new  house  of  worship  was  built  and  first 
occupied  in  November,   1901. 

The  Russian  Christian  Mission  (rented  store  at  1709  S. 
Halsted  Street). 

Organized  1909,  by  Basil  KeussefiP;  present  membership, 
40;  Bible-school  enrollment,  75. 

About  1909  the  City  Missionary  Society — E.  M.  Bowman, 
president — was  anxious  to  start  gospel  work  among  the  for- 
eign-born people  of  the  city.  Providentially,  C  G.  Kindred 
met  then  Daniel  Protoff,  who  seemed  to  be  qualified  to  work 
among  the  250,000  Russians  of  the  city;  so  it  was  begun. 
Mr.  Protofif's  health  soon  failed,  and  Basil  S.  Keusseff  was 
called  by  the  City  Board  from  Pittsburgh.  He  was  doing 
missionary  work  there  under  the  auspices  of  the  Baptists. 
In  the  heart  of  the  world's  steel  industry  he  labored  with 
Russians,  Bulsrarians,  Servians,  Croatians,  Macedonians  and 
Turks.  Mr.  Keussefif  was  born  in  Bulgaria,  converted  by 
the  Baptists  in  Roumania,  educated  in  the  American  Mission- 
ary College  in   Samokov  and  in  two  colleges   in   England. 


166  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Then  he  was  examined  by  the  MiHtary  College  in  Sofia  and 
became  an  officer  in  the  Bulgarian  Army.  However,  he  pre- 
ferred philology  and  religion ;  hence,  he  became  an  expert 
linguist  in  ten  different  languages  and  a  minister  of  the 
gospel.  He  organized  a  Baptist  church  in  Lom,  Bulgaria; 
built  a  chapel,  and  edited  two  newspapers  in  Sofia.  Near 
Pittsburgh  he  met  Robert  Bamber,  pastor  of  the  Turtle 
Creek  Christian  Church,  and  soon  came  to  apostolic  ground. 
His  work  in  Chicago  is  unique  and  successful.  The  field  is 
most  difficult.  All  Russians  belong  to  the  Greek  Catholic 
Church,  and  are  full  of  superstition  and  strongly  attached 
to  the  church  of  the  Czar;  its  priests  are  active  in  their  oppo- 
sition, as  are  also  the  Russian  Socialists,  Tolstoists,  Nihilists 
and  Anarchists.  Such  opposers  challenge  the  courage  of  a 
true  soldier  of  the  cross. 

The  work  is  carried  on  in  a  rented  storeroom,  but  the 
Chicago  Society,  with  the  General  Home  .Society  and  the 
State  C.  W.  B.  M.,  hopes  to  house  this  mission.  For  lack 
of  room,  all  of  the  Bible  school  are  adults. 

Sheffield  Avenue  Church   (Sheffield  Avenue  and  George 

Street). 

Organized  1890,  by  W.  F.  Black;  present  membership, 
200;  value  of  property,  $15,000;  Bible  school  began  1890; 
present  enrollment,  225. 

This  was  organized  as  the  North  Side  Church.  Prof.  W. 
F.  Black,  then  pastor  of  the  Central  Christian  Church,  began 
preaching  Sunday  afternoons  in  Cook's  Hall.  The  charter 
members  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cicero  Wallace,  Mrs.  H.  J. 
Russell  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  F.  and  L.  R.  Priest,  Mrs.  K.  P. 
Kennedy,  Miss  Addie  V.  H.  Barr,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Bauford  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  T.  Purscll. 

Lots  were  bought  at  Montana  and  Sheffield  Streets  and  a 
frame  chapel  built  thereon.  This  property  was  lost  under  a 
mortgage.  Meetings  were  then  held  in  Belmont  Hall  until 
the  present  property  was  secured  in  1905.  W.  B.  Taylor  was 
pastor  here  about  six  years,  and  J.  Lathrop,  Geo.  F.  Hall, 


CHURCHES  167 

Thad  Tinsley,  O.  P.  Spiegel  and  Bruce  Brown  for  shorter 
periods.  Will  F.  Shaw  came  to  the  pastorate  in  September, 
1905.  He  is  a  sincere  and  devoted  minister  and  preaches 
very  clearly  the  pure  gospel  of  Christ.  During  this  time  the 
church  has  prospered  in  all  excellent  service,  but  has  lost 
many  by  removals  and  death.  In  its  membership  there  have 
been  not  a  few  superior  Christian  men  and  women,  among 
them  Cicero  Wallace,  Prof.  PI.  N.  Herrick,  L.  R.  Priest, 
Elias  A.  hong,  W.  S.  Shearer,  John  Thrash,  L.  G.  Fertig 
and  Misses  Addie  Barr  and  Elsie  Fudge — all  of  them  leaders 
hi  the  public's  service. 

South  Chicago  Christian  Church. 

Organized  1906,  by  A.  Larabee ;  present  membership,  50 ; 
Bible  school  began  1896;  present  enrollment,  50. 

City  Evangelist  Larabee  started  this  work.  The  congre- 
gation owns  no  property,  but  is  accumulating  a  building 
fund.  The  meetings  are  held  in  Sherman  Hall,  9138  Com- 
mercial Avenue.  The  progress  is  slow  because  the  com- 
munity is  largely  composed  of  foreign-born  peoples  of  other 
tongues  and  religions.  The  church  is  brave  and  persistent 
in  the  face  of  overwhelming  odds. 

West  End. 

Present  membership,  76;  value  of  property,  $3,500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  96. 

West  Pullman. 

Present  membership,  64;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,   100. 

In  years  past  there  were  churches  at  Barrington  and  Pala- 
tine.    From  the  former,  Ira  J.  Chase  entered  the  ministry. 

A  church  at  Maywood  was  formed  in  1905  and  continued 
for  several  years,  but  recently  disbanded. 

A  church  at  Ravenswood  had  a  similar  record. 

Chicago  is  one  of  the  world's  greatest  mission  fields  and 
challenges  our  courage  and  consecration. 


168  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 

East  Union  (Palestine). 

Organized  1848,  by  John  Bailey ;  present  membership, 
150;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible-school  enrollment,  25. 

Minister  Bailey  held  a  meeting  in  a  log  schoolhouse  and 
formed  a  congregation  with  fifty  members.  There  was  a 
reorganization  in  1858  by  Dr.  Alfred  C.  Malone  with  eleven 
members,  mostly  from  the  Palestine  Church.  Of  these, 
Samuel  Searcy  is  the  sole  survivor,  aged  eighty- four.  The 
chapel  was  built  three  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  Palestine 
in  1863. 

This  church  has  given  to  the  ministry  George  Hurst, 
Ralph  Harding,  J.  S.  Clements  and  O.  J.  Page. 

It  is  active  in  good  works  under  the  ministry  of  Wright 
Sparlin. 

Hardinville. 

Organized  1850;  present  membership,  103;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  50. 
The  chapel  was  built  in  1858. 

Hutsonville. 

Organized  1841,  by  Alfred  P.  Law;  present  membership, 
121;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1860; 
present   enrollment,   140. 

The  Disciples  met  for  worship  in  their  homes  before  the 
church  was  organized,  which  was  made  in  a  log  house. 
About  1852  a  brick  chapel  was  erected  by  contributions  from 
the  general  public,  but  the  legal  title  soon  passed  to  the  M.  E. 
Church.  In  1858  the  congres^ation  built  a  house  of  their 
own.  This  was  used  until  1886,  when  the  ladies'  aid  society 
bought  a  better  located  lot,  on  which  a  better  building  was 
erected.  In  1911  this  house  was  entirely  remodeled  and  mod- 
ernized. 

In  the  early  days  the  visits  of  Uncle  Joe  Wilson  and 
Uncle  Joe  Wolf,  of  Indiana,  were  looked  forward  to  with 
great  pleasure. 


CHURCHES  169 

Here  are  the  names  of  some  men  and  women  whose  lives 
have  meant  much  to  the  church:  Ben  and  Lizzie  Frakes, 
Charles  Fiddlar,  Curtis  Bradberry,  Hugh  and  Sarah  Ham- 
ilton, R.  J.  Owens,  John  T.  Shore  and  wife,  Joel  Musgrove 
and  wife,  Sarah  Stark  (who  taught  a  Sunday-school  class 
for  twenty-five  years  and  was  eighty  years  old  when  she 
resigned),  Nancy  O.  Hurst,  Sarah  McNutt,  Charity  and 
Deborah  Canady. 

There  is  also  a  conservative  church  here  with  a  Bible 
school. 

Landes. 

Present  membership,  48;  value  of  property,  $550;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  41. 

Ohlong. 

Present   membership,    144;   value   of   property,    including 
parsonage,  $3,600;  Bible-school  enrollment,  218. 
A  modern,  prosperous  church  in  the  oil  region. 

Palestine. 

Organized  1863;  present  membership,  250;  value  of  prop- 
erty, including  parsonage,  $5,000;  Bible-school  enrollment, 
150. 

Since  the  waters  have  swept  the  site  of  Kaskaskia  away, 
Palestine  claims  to  be  the  oldest  town  in  the  State.  There 
was  a  church  of  Christ  here  probably  in  the  thirties.  In 
1840,  in  this  place,  Maurice  R.  Trimble  conducted  a  public 
debate  with  a  'Two-seed  Baptist"  preacher.  The  records 
have  all  perished.  A  reorganization  was  made  by  Evangelist 
D.  D.  Miller,  working  in  the  Fourth  District.  There  were 
seventy-nine  charter  members,  of  whom  Press  Carver  only 
remains. 

The  frame  chapel  on  North  Main  Street  was  burned  in 
1855.  The  present  brick  house  was  built  in  1874.  In  1893 
a  number  of  the  members  who  were  opposed  to  the  use  of 
instrumental  music  in  the  public  worship  withdrew  and  put 


170         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

up  a  frame  chapel  two  blocks  south.     This  is  now  unused 
and  stands  as  a  monument  to  mistaken  zeal. 

The  church  is  prosperous.  One  Bible-school  class  is  edu- 
cating an  orphan  in  Porto  Rico.    E.  W.  Sears  is  pastor. 

Portersvilie. 

Organized  1875,  by  Minister  Wood ;  present  membership, 
65;   value  of  property,   $1,500;   Bible-school   enrollment,   85. 
There  were  twelve  charter  members. 

Robinson. 

Organized  1867,  by  A.  D.  Dailev;  present  membership, 
300;  value  of  property,  $12,000;  Bible  school  began  1867; 
present  enrollment,  162. 

The  original  members  were  N.  S.  Brown  and  wife,  M. 
C.  Sheppard,  Mrs.  Mary  Callahan,  Hickman  Henderson  and 
Jas.  M.  Gardner  and  wife.  The  church  was  a  result  of  a 
series  of  meetings  held  by  Minister  Dailey.  The  first  house 
was  built  in  1882. 

IVest  Harmony  (Bell  Air). 

Present  membership,  103;  value  of  property,  $800;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  65. 

Inactive.     Chapel  built  in  1871. 

Wirt  Chapel  (Oblong). 

Organized  1862,  by  G.  W.  Ingersoll ;  value  of  property, 
$900. 

Met  in  Wirt  Schoolhouse  until  1875,  when  chapel  was 
built  on  land  given  by  Mrs.  Deborah  Ogden. 

CUMBERLAND   COUNTY. 

Antioch   (Greenup). 

Organized  1891,  by  H.  C.  Kuykendall ;  present  member- 
ship, 90;  value  of  property,  $700. 

This  church  is  eight  miles  northeast  of  Greenup.  Con- 
servatives  are   in   control. 


CHURCHES  171 

Brush  Creek   (Roslin). 

Organized  1890;  present  membership,  25;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $800;  has  a  Bible  school. 

This  is  two  miles  northwest  of  Roslin.  The  congrega- 
tion is  fifty  to  sixty  years  old,  and  for  a  period  met  in 
Fairview  Schoolhouse. 

Corinth  (Toledo). 

Organized  1876;  present  membership,  45;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $900. 

Two  miles  southwest  of  Toledo. 

Greenup. 

Organized  1887,  by  Wm.  H.  Williams ;  present  member- 
ship, 43;  value  of  property,  $500;  Bible-school  enrollment,  75. 

The  organization  was  effected  in  the  Universalist  house 
of  worship.  J.  D.  Borden  and  John  Decker  were  elected 
elders,  and  Messrs.  Elstun  and  Garrett,  deacons.  The 
church  has  been  an  intermittent  one.  It  gave  to  the  ministry 
J.  D.  Borden  and  John  W.  Kellum.  For  several  years 
Charles  F.  Walden  was  the  efficient  clerk. 

Hazel  Dell 

Present  membership,  80;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  50. 

I.  S.  McCash  bought  a  farm  two  miles  northwest  of 
Hazel  Dell,  and  in  1860  moved  his  family  there  from  Indiana. 
While  he  cultivated  his  farm  in  summer  and  worked  at  the 
carpenter's  trade  in  winter,  he  preached  regularly  within  a 
radius  of  twenty-five  miles.  He  found  a  small  congregation 
at  the  Copland  Schoolhouse,  which  transferred  membership 
to  Hazel  Dell  when  the  chapel  was  built  there.  Mr.  McCash 
was  assisted  in  his  pioneer  work  by  an  aged  brother,  Benja- 
min Duvee,  and  Daniel  Corener,  whose  home  was  in  the 
north  edge  of  Jasper  County.  They  went  by  twos;  one 
would  preach  and  the  other  would  exhort. 


172  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Janesville. 

Present  membership,  70;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  48. 
D.  T.  Gordon  is  clerk. 

Jewett. 

Organized  1893,  by  James  R.  Parker;  present  member- 
ship, 40;  value  of  property,  $600;  Bible  school  began  1893; 
present  enrollment,  80. 

The  charter  members  were  William,  H.  O.,  Harry  and 
Tiney  Goldsmith ;  Rachel  Clark,  Emma  Lamasters,  Phoche 
Prather;  C.  O.,  Mattie  and  Robert  Ray;  Albert  and  Maggie 
Skidmore ;  Alfred,  Jane,  William  and  Emma  Williams. 

The  first  chapel  burned  in  1900  and  the  second  was  built. 
The  church  was  reorganized  in  1911  by  Evangelist  J.  E. 
Stout  with  forty  members,  and  is  now  led  by  better  ideals. 

There  was  a  division  in  this  congregation  in  1909,  and 
the  conservatives  formed  a  church  that  has  now  fifteen  mem- 
bers and  a  Bible  school,  but  no  chapel. 

Johnstown  (Toledo). 

Present  membership,  58;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  no 
Bible  school. 

Seven  miles  north.     J.  D.  Hill  is  clerk. 

Neoga. 

Organized  1896,  by  S.  R.  Lewis;  present  membership,  35; 
value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1896;  present 
enrollment,  34. 

Years  ago  there  was  a  congregation  four  miles  east  called 
Copperas  Creek;  also  at  Neoga,  but  both  passed  away.  The 
present  church  was  organized  in  a  hall  with  twenty-six 
charter  members.  The  chapel  was  built  in  1898.  The  con- 
gregation is  active.     Mrs.  Maude  Frazzel  is  clerk. 

Churches  in  this  part  of  the  State  have  been  led  to  their 
serious  hurt  by  non-scriptural  ideals. 


CHURCHES  173 

Plum  Grove  (Hidalgo). 

Organized  1900;  present  membership,  80;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,800;  Bible-school  enrollment,  100. 
Three  miles  north  of  Hidalgo. 

Plum  Grove  (Greenup). 

Organized  1900;  value  of  property,  $900;  has  a  Bible 
school. 

Six  miles  northeast  of  Greenup.  A  congregation  was 
organized  two  miles  south  of  this  place,  in  a  schoolhouse,  by 
Min.  Benjamin  Duvee  in  1854.  This  was  the  first  church 
in  the  county  that  was  Christian  only.  Thomas  Goodman 
preached  there.  When  the  place  of  meeting  and  the  name 
were  changed  and  the  chapel  built,  is  not  learned. 

Toledo. 

Organized  1875;  present  membership,  200;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $3,500;  Bible-school  enrollment,   167. 

The  present  chapel  was  built  in  1902.  The  church  has 
grown  toward  better  ideals.     Scott  Calbert  is  pastor. 

Webster  (Janesville). 

This  is  two  and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  Janesville. 

Min.  I.  S.  McCash  constituted  a  church  in  1864  near 
Hazel  Dell,  at  the  Washington  Schoolhouse.  At  that  place 
four  of  his  sons  were  led  to  Christ  and  all  of  them  entered 
the  ministry;  namely,  Andrew,  Levi,  Albert  and  I.  N. 
McCash.  Andrew  has  remained  there  over  forty  years.  Levi 
has  preached  in  California  and  Albert  in  Washington  for 
nearly  as  long.  L  N.  has  been  more  prominent,  and,  hence, 
more  widely  known.  This  congregation  is  now  divided. 
About  1865,  L  S.  McCash  also  formed  a  church  in  the 
Painter  Creek  Schoolhouse. 

Miss  Nellie  Morgan,  of  Jewett,  furnished  many  of  the 
facts  in  this  county. 


174  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

DEWITT    COUNTY. 

Clinton. 

Organized  1852,  by  W.  G.  Springer;  present  membership, 
560;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $18,000;  Bible 
school  began  1852;  present  enrollment,  335. 

In  the  spring  of  1857,  Walter  P.  Bowles  and  Wm.  G. 
Springer  held  a  series  of  meetings  about  four  miles  south 
of  Clinton,  in  the  residence  of  Hiram  Dodson,  not  far  from 
the  location  of  Texas  chapel.  During  this  meeting  Mr. 
Springer  proposed  that  a  church-house  be  built  in  Clinton, 
which  was  approved.  W.  G.  Springer,  with  Messrs.  Wm. 
Bolin  and  Samuel  Brown,  were  appointed  the  committee  for 
this  task.  Judge  David  Davis  gave  the  lot,  and  an  old-time 
brick  chapel  w^as  finished  and  occupied  in  the  summer  of 
1852.  In  that  fall,  W.  G.  Springer,  assisted  by  Wm. 
Shockey,  an  able  evangelist  from  Indiana,  held  a  meeting. 
At  its  close  a  church  of  Christ  was  organized,  with  Wm. 
Bolin  and  W.  G.  Springer  as  elders,  and  Abram  Crum  and 
Milton  Parkinson,  deacons.  There  was  some  preaching  by 
Messrs.  Bolin,  Springer,  Bowles,  Wm.  Morrow  and  others, 
but  little  growth.  Wm.  H.  Brown,  the  great  evangelist,  held 
a  meeting  in  1856,  and  W.  P.  Shockey  in  1858.  He  also 
led  a  public  debate  on  Universalism  with  Minister  Davis. 
In  1860,  J.  Q.  A.  Houston,  with  Dudley  Downs  as  singer, 
held  a  meeting.  During  this  revival  the  floor  of  the  chapel, 
filled  with  a  great  audience,  broke  down,  causing  a  panic. 
Order  was  restored  by  the  quick  singing  of  the  preachers. 
Mr.  Downs  then  preached  for  the  congregation  part  of  the 
time  for  several  years.  David  Walk,  Benjamin  Franklin,  C. 
F.  Short  and  Leroy  Skelton  preached  in  continued  meetings 
and  otherwise.  In  1865,  J.  J.  Miles  settled  in  CHnton  and 
preached  some.  Then  there  followed  R.  B.  Roberts,  George 
Owen,  D.  D.  Miller,  J.  C.  Tulley,  Charles  Rowe,  James 
Mitchell,  James  Robinson,  John  Wilson,  Peter  Schick,  Dr. 
John  Zimmerman,  H.  G.  Van  Dervoort,  W.  H.  Crow,  Elijah 
Stout,  N.  S.  Haynes,  H.  F.  Tandy,  Geo.  F.  Adams,  Samuel 


CHURCHES  175 

Lowe  and  T.  T.  Holton  in  various  kinds  of  ministerial 
service.  In  the  winter  of  1866,  A.  D.  Fillmore  taught  a  class 
in  vocal  music  and  preached  for  the  church.  In  1871,  John 
Adkinson,  who  was  the  main  financial  support,  died.  Again 
the  door  of  the  chapel  was  closed. 

In  1881,  Miss  Mary  Welsh,  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward 
Allen,  opened  and  cleaned  up  the  building,  replacing  the 
fifty  broken  panes  of  glass,  and  began  again  the  public  wor- 
ship with  seven  of  the  members.  Since  that  time  the  church 
has  grown  steadily  in  numbers  and  efficiency.  The  new 
building  was  erected  during  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Young  in 
1888;  also  he  was  the  first  minister  giving  full  time  to  a 
congregation.  The  pastorate  of  Mr.  E.  A.  Gilliland  was 
fruitful  of  great  good. 

Fairview  (Hey worth). 

Organized  1887,  by  J.  S.  Stagner;  value  of  property, 
$1,200;  Bible  school  began  1877. 

The  location  is  eight  miles  southwest  of  Heyworth.  The 
situation  is  commanding — a  bluff  on  the  bank  of  Kickapoo 
Creek.     There  is  a  well-kept  cemetery  there. 

The  chapel  was  built  in  1878.  The  congregation  is  now 
weak.  A  summer  Sunday  school  is  about  the  only  appear- 
ance of  life. 

Farmer  City. 

Organized  1864,  by  Dudley  Downs;  present  membership, 
147;  value  of  property,  $6,500;  Bible  school  began  1868; 
present  enrollment,  160. 

This  congregation  was  formed  in  the  old  schoolhouse  of 
the  town.  The  chapel  was  built  the  next  year  on  Main 
Street,  which  served  till  1866.  Then,  during  the  pastorate 
of  John  I.  Gunn,  the  building  was  moved  two  blocks  east 
and  reconstructed  at  a  cost  of  $3,500.  Other  improvements 
thereon  were  made  during  the  pastorate  of  Henry  Genders, 
who  died  there. 

The  living  charter  members  are  Milan  Moore,  IMehitabel 


176         HISTORY  OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

Watson,  Chas.  H.  Watson,  Catherine  Wetzell,  James  H.  Bean, 
Cynthia  Webb,  Emma  Sangster  and  Nancy  Watson. 

The  church  has  never  been  numerically  strong.  It  has 
given  to  the  ministry  David  Wetzell,  Joseph  G.  Slick  and 
Frank  L.  Moore. 

Hallsvillc  (formerly  Old  Union). 

Organized  1832,  by  Hughes  Bowles ;  present  membership, 
211;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible-school  enrollment,  82. 

The  Old  Union  Church  was  located  about  ten  miles  west 
of  Clinton.  Hughes  Bowles,  with  his  family,  came  from 
Kentucky  in  1831  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  that  locality. 
Under  the  spreading  branches  of  a  large  white-oak  tree,  he 
constituted  this  congregation  on  October  13 — the  second  Sun- 
day of  the  month — with  seventeen  charter  members.  It  was 
composed  mainly  of  the  Bowles  and  Hall  families.  A  part, 
and  probably  all,  of  these  first  members  were  turned  to  the 
Lord  at  Caneridge,  Kentucky.  The  first  elders  of  this  church 
of  Christ  were  Mahlon  Hall,  Joseph  Hall  and  Hiram  Dotson. 
Besides  these,  Darius  and  Ambrose  Hall,  with  Anderson  and 
W.  P.  Bowles,  were  leading  members.  The  first  meetings 
were  held  in  the  log-cabin  homes  of  the  people  and  in  groves. 
Among  the  first  preachers  there  were  Hughes  Bowles,  James 
Scott,  William  Ryan,  W.  P.  Bowles,  Mr.  Painter,  Abner 
Peeler,  Isaac  Martin,  Alfred  Lindsay,  Sr.,  John  G.  Camp- 
bell, William  Morrow  and  John  England.  John  Rogers  and 
John  Irwin  were  Kentucky  ministers  who  visited  the  congre- 
gation. Later  there  were  A.  J.  Kane,  J.  Q.  A.  Houston, 
Dudley  Downs,  Samuel  Knight,  L.  M.  Robinson  and  T.  T. 
Llolton. 

The  first  chapel  was  built  of  logs  in  1838.  It  was  used 
jointly  by  the  Disciples,  Baptists  and  Methodists.  This 
fact  gave  the  word  "Union"  to  this  place  of  public  wor- 
ship. As  the  years  passed,  "Old"  was  added.  In  1864  a 
frame  building,  with  a  seatino-  capacity  of  six  hundred  and 
costing  $3,000,  was  erected.  This  was  owned  and  used  by  the 
church  of  Christ  only. 


CHURCHES  177 

These  pioneer  preachers  laid  deep  and  firm  foundations. 
This  congregation  grew  to  a  membership  of  four  hundred. 
From  first  to  last  near  thirteen  hundred  were  baptized  here 
upon  the  public  confession  of  the  Christ. 

It  gave  to  the  ministry  Wm.  P.  Ryan,  W.  P.  Bowles, 
Alonzo  Henry,  Simpson  Ely,  Harry  Barnett,  J.  A.  Barnett, 
Harry  Piatt  and  John  H.  Piatt. 

Railways  came,  towns  sprang  up  and  Old  Union  became 
the  mother  of  congregations.  She  contributed  to  ''Texas," 
Maroa,  Kenney  and  Midland,  which  received  the  old  house ; 
but  Hallsville  is  her  direct  offspring.  On  Oct.  13,  1882, 
the  old  church  disbanded.  A  decaying  stump  marks  the 
spot  of  her  birth.  This,  with  the  gravestones  in  the  cemetery 
that  grew  around  the  houses  of  worship,  are  the  silent 
sentinels  of  faded  joys  and  departed  glory.  Here  sleeps  the 
sacred  dust  of  brave  men  and  true  women  awaiting  the 
resurrection  of  the  just. 

Kenney. 

Organized  1883,  by  David  Wetzell;  present  membership, 
140;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1902; 
present  enrollment,  114. 

This  church  was  constituted  by  members  who  came  from 
the  Old  Union  congregation  and  those  gained  in  a  meeting 
conducted  by  Mr.  Wetzell  in  a  public  hall  in  1883.  The 
chapel  was  finished  and  occupied  in  1884.  The  next  year 
Robert  Orr,  W.  W.  Johnson  and  F.  M.  Hubbell  were 
ordained  as  elders.  Messrs.  Orr  and  Johnson  continue  to 
serve  the  congregation  as  its  elders.  It  grows  and  does  good 
work. 

Lane. 

Organized  1850,  by  Dr.  Zimmerman ;  present  membership, 
55:  value  of  property,  $400;  Bible  school  began  1884;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  70. 

The  meetings  of  this  congregation  for  a  period  of  thirty- 
five  years  were  held  in  the  residences  of  its  members  and 


178  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

schoolhouses  about  seven  miles  east  of  Clinton.  It  was  first 
known  as  Creek  Nation  and  later  as  Harmony  Church.  With 
the  coming  of  a  railway,  the  village  of  Lane  sprang  up.  It 
was  named  for  Timps  Lane,  a  representative  man  of  the 
community  and  a  leading  member  of  the  church.  Then  the 
chapel  and  place  of  meeting  were  moved  there  in  1884.  It 
is  probable  that  the  liarmony  congregation  was  formed  by 
Min.  George  Owens  in  1867.  Mr.  Lane  died  in  1911.  The 
church  in  the  village  is  not  strong. 

Long  Point  (Wapella). 

Organized  1851,  by  William  Morrow;  present  member- 
ship, 51;  value  of  property,  $800;  Bible  school  began  1858; 
present  enrollment,  41. 

This  church,  located  four  miles  north  of  Wapella,  was 
formed  in  a  grove  near  Liberty  Schoolhouse.  In  1858  the 
present  house  of  worship  was  built,  costing  $2,000.  The 
pioneer  preachers  who  worked  here  were  Wm.  Ryan,  W.  P. 
Bowles,  John  Wilson,  Dudley  Downs  and  George  Owens. 

The  present  elders  are  Abram  Summers,  C.  W^  Short  and 
John  B.  Turner,  who  is  also  correspondent. 

At  one  time  Benjamin  Franklin  debated  with  John 
Luccock  (M.  E.  Church)  here. 

Rock  Creek  (Waynesville). 

Organized  1837,  by  Hughes  Bowles ;  present  membership, 
80;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1876; 
present  enrollment,  45. 

The  meetings  for  public  worship  alternated  between  the 
residences  of  Peter  Crum,  at  Long  Point,  and  Samuel  P. 
Glenn,  at  Rock  Creek,  till  1845,  when  the  first  house  was 
built.  This  served  till  1876,  when  the  present  house  was 
constructed  one-quarter  mile  south  of  the  first  site — four 
miles  east  of  Waynesville. 

This  country  church  has  maintained  the  primitive  order 
of  public  worship  during  the  seventy-five  years  of  its  life. 


CHURCHES  179 

Its  pioneer  preachers  were  Peter  Crum,  W.  P.  Bowles,  S.  P. 
Glenn  and  James  Robeson. 

Texas  (Clinton). 

Organized  1850,  by  W.  G.  Springer ;  present  membership, 
77  \  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1876;  pres- 
ent enrollment,   111. 

This  church  is  located  four  miles  southwest  of  Clinton. 
Its  first  house  was  built  in  1850  and  its  second  in  1876.  The 
church  was  reorganized  in  1860.  Like  many  country 
churches,  it  has  lost  many  members  by  removal,  but  maintains 
its  public  worship  and  work.  Its  elders  are  B.  T.  Williams, 
G.  W.  Wright  and  James  Justis,  with  H.  White  and  J.  G. 
Jenkins,  deacons. 

VVapella. 

Organized  1868,  by  George  Owens ;  present  membership, 
123;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1868; 
present  enrollment,   100. 

The  meetings  were  held  in  the  schoolhouse  till  1869, 
when  the  present  house  of  worship  was  built.  Joshua  Carl, 
Peter  Crum  and  Stephen  Riggs  were  associated  with  Geo. 
Owen  in  forming  the  congregation. 

Mrs.  Margaret  Carl  was  one  of  the  charter  members.  She 
was  baptized  by  Thomas  Campbell  in  1826,  and  at  the  age 
of  ninety-five  years  passed  to  her  reward. 

O.  C.  Ives  and  Richard  Short  are  the  elders,  with  H. 
Conover  and  P.  O.  Scogens,  deacons. 

Waynesville. 

Organized  1894,  by  R.  Leland  Brown;  present  member- 
ship, 225;  value  of  property,  including  parf^onage,  $6,000; 
Bible  school  began  1894;  present  enrollment,  263. 

This  church  grew  out  of  a  meeting  conducted  by  Min. 
R.  Leland  Brown.  There  were  eight  Disciples  at  its  begin- 
iiinsf  and  eighty  at  the  close.  The  house  of  worship,  costing 
$1,800,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  four  hundred,  was  built 


180         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

at  once.  When  the  house  was  dedicated,  practical  expressions 
of  goodwill  came  from  the  representatives  of  the  community, 
both  the  churched  and  the  unchurched. 

DOUGLAS   COUNTY. 

Areola. 

Organized  1858,  by  Dr.  W.  T.  Sylvester;  present  mem- 
bership, 270;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $21,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  327. 

The  charter  members  were  John  Lanaiger,  Dr.  Sylvester, 
Tipton  Ward,  David  Evans  and  J.  M.  Harden.  Dr.  Sylvester 
was  the  leading  member  of  this  church  for  about  fifteen 
years.  He  was  an  efficient  elder  and  a  good  preacher  until 
he  became  a  railroad  builder. 

The  congregation  was  held  back  for  years  by  hurtful 
opinions,  but  has  fully  recovered  itself.  It  is  active  in  all 
good  works,  with  W.  S.  Rounds  as  pastor. 

Camargo. 

Present  membership,  106;  value  of  property,  $10,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,   125. 

There  was  in  the  seventies  and  later  a  Christian  congre- 
gation at  Hugo,  a  few  miles  south  of  Camargo.  The  chang- 
ing tides  of  human  life  carried  it  away,  some  of  its  members 
coming  to  Camargo. 

Hindsboro. 

Organized  1863,  by  Harmon  Gregg;  present  membership, 
150;  value  of  property,  $6,500;  Bible  school  began  1878; 
present  enrollment,  130. 

The  Deer  Creek  Christian  Church,  located  four  miles 
north  of  the  site  of  Hindsboro,  was  formed  as  stated. 
Besides  Mr.  Gregg,  Thomas  Goodman  preached  much  for 
the  congregation.  Hindsboro  grew  by  the  coming  of  the 
railroad,  and  to  this  village  the  membership  of  the  Deer 
Creek  congregation   was   transferred    in     1878.      The    first 


CHURCHES  181 

chapel  was  built  there  the  next  year,  and  the  present  house 
was  erected  in  1910  during  the  ministry  of  J.  S.  Rose. 

Miirdock. 

Organized  1902,  by  R.  Leland  Brown ;  present  member- 
ship, 50;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1902; 
present  enrollment,  80. 

Newman. 

Organized  1869,  by  N.  S.  Haynes ;  present  membership, 
450;  value  of  property,  $23,000;  Bible  school  began  1869; 
present  enrollment,  225. 

A  series  of  meetings  was  begun  by  Mr.  Haynes  in  the 
M.  E.  chapel.  When  people  began  to  turn  to  the  Lord,  the 
trustees  turned  him  out.  The  meeting  was  continued  and 
the  church  formed  in  the  public  schoolhouse.  A  frame 
chapel  was  built  about  1874,  which  gave  place  to  a  modern 
building  in  1905.  W.  G.  Pounds  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  FJennett 
v/ere  active  helpers  in  the  early  years. 

The  church  has  given  L.  H.  Hooe  to  the  ministry. 

Tuscola. 

Organized  1863,  by  David  Walk;  present  membership, 
285;  value  of  property,  $15,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  144. 

In  1863,  W.  B.  Wharton  and  D.  K.  Walker,  two  Disciples, 
were  residing  in  Tuscola.  This  had  then  been  a  county-seat 
for  six  years.  These  two  men  and  their  families  wished  the 
town  should  hear  the  gospel  as  they  understood  it,  and  also 
a  church  home  for  themselves ;  so  they  sent  for  Min.  David 
Walk.  He  held  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  old  courthouse 
and  organized  a  church  of  Christ  with  eighteen  members. 
The  congregation  met  in  the  schoolhouse  for  public  worship. 
Later,  when  Mr.  Walk  returned  to  Tuscola,  he  was  com- 
pelled to  defend  his  distinctive  teaching  in  a  public  discussion. 
At  its  conclusion,  members  of  the  Baptist,  Presbyterian  and 
M.  E.  Churches  united  and  prevailed  upon  the  public-school 
officers  to  shut  the  Disciples  out  of  the  schoolhouse.     This 


182  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

led  to  the  construction  of  a  two-story  frame  church  building. 
It  was  used  until  1892,  when  the  present  brick  edifice  was 
completed.  The  chief  cost  of  the  first  building  was  met  by 
John  Chandler.  Of  the  charter  members,  only  Mrs.  Julia 
Sloan  remains. 

The  church  has  always  maintained  its  public  worship. 

It  has  given  to  the  ministry  Wm.  Walling  and  E.  E. 
Hartley. 

Villa  Grove. 

Organized  1906,  by  Harold  E.  Monser ;  present  member- 
ship, 110;  value  of  property,  $7,000;  Bible  school  began 
1906;  present  enrollment,  142. 

Mr.  Monser  was  sent  here  by  the  mission  board  of  the 
Sixth  District,  and  conducted  a  four  weeks'  meeting  in  a 
tent.  During  the  half-time  service  of  R.  L.  Cartwright  the 
bouse  was  built  by  the  help  of  the  Church  Extension  Society. 
The  town  depends  for  its  life  chiefly  on  railroad  work,  and 
the  church  has  been  pastorless  part  of  the  time,  hence  has 
not  flourished.     Dr.  G.  L.  Kennedy  is  the  clerk. 

EDGAR    COUNTY. 

Some  Extinct  Congregations. 

The  second  church  in  the  county  was  known  through 
many  years  as  Big  Creek.  There  is  a  dim  tradition  that  it 
was  first  called  'Tickup,"  but  not  for  a  long  time.  It  was 
organized  in  the  thirties.  Its  first  house  of  worship  was 
made  of  hewed  logs,  with  an  open  fireplace  at  one  end.  It 
was  built  about  1838  and  stood  within  half  a  mile  of  what  is 
now  known  as  the  Union  Schoolhouse.  The  elders  were  Abner 
Leitchman  and  Isaac  Elledge.  The  latter  was  a  very  good 
preacher.  Harmon  Greorsf,  Sr.,  and  Robert  Bloomfield  were 
the  deacons.  About  1850  the  log  house  gave  place  to  a 
frame  chapel  placed  within  a  half-mile  northeast.  The  names 
associated  with  this  house  are  Barnett  Thomas,  Jacob  Zim- 
merly  and  Ottis  Eldridge.  In  1882  a  new  but  very  inferior 
chapel  was  built  one  and  a  half  miles  due  south.    This  was 


CHURCHES  183 

used  till  1904,  when  a  part  of  the  congregation  went  west 
to  Bell  Ridge  and  a  part  east  to  Oliver.  The  old  church  gave 
Harmon  Gregg  and  Dudley  Downs  to  the  ministry. 

In  1840  a  church  was  organized  about  three  miles  east 
of  Grandview  known  as  Central.  It  did  good  work  for  about 
twenty-five  years. 

The  Elbridge  congregation  was  formed  in  the  fifties 
and  flourished  for  years.  The  members,  "split  up  by  the 
Civil  War,"  moved  away,  and  the  house  was  sold  about  1875 
to  the  public-school   district. 

Maple  Grove  was  a  country  church  three  miles  east  of 
Edgar.  The  property  has  gone  back  to  the  original  owners 
of  the  land. 

Liberty  Chapel  was  six  miles  east  and  one  mile  north  of 
Paris.     It,  too,  has  probably  gone  back  to  the  landowners. 

W.  F.  Black  found  a  "union  church"  north  of  Hume  and 
held  a  characteristic  meeting  in  the  fall  of  1884.  Then  most 
of  the  people  became  Christians  only.  After  some  years, 
many  changed  membership  to  Sidell  and  elsewhere.  The 
chapel  was  sold  to  be  used  as  a  barn,  and  the  proceeds  turned 
into  the  chapel  at  Metcalf. 

There  was  never  a  congregation  at  Grandview,  but 
"Uncle  Tom  Goodman,"  who  resided  there,  was  anxious  to 
tell  the  Methodist  and  Presbyterian  brethren  "where  they 
stood."  Refusing  him  the  use  of  their  houses,  the  chapel 
v/as  built  and,  in  later  years,  sold  to  the  township. 

Asher   (Paris). 

Organized  1907,  by  L.  Hadaway;  present  membership, 
139;  value  of  property,  $4,900;  Bible  school  began  1907; 
present  enrollment,  90. 

The  location  is  about  five  miles  southwestward  from 
Paris.  The  congregation  grew  out  of  a  Bible  school  held  in 
the  Asher  Schoolhouse,  re-enforced  by  members  from  the 
old  Big  Creek  Church.  There  were  thirty-eight  charter  mem- 
bers. The  Home  Department  has  125  members.  Like  many 
such,  the  abler  members  move  to  town. 


184  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Bell  Ridge   (Paris). 

Organized  1904,  by  H.  M.  Brooks;  present  membership, 
319;  value  of  property,  $6,000;  Bible  school  began  1904; 
present  enrollment,   162. 

This  congregation  grew  out  of  the  old  Big  Creek  Church. 
It  is  located  ten  miles  southwest  of  Paris.  There  were  sixty- 
seven  charter  members.  The  chapel  is  a  creditable  one. 
There  have  been  six  regular  preachers.  Mrs.  W.  S.  O'Hair 
has  served  as  the  very  faithful  and  efficient  Bible- school 
superintendent.     The  Home  Department  has  258  members. 

Brocton. 

Organized  1873,  by  C.  C.  Boyer  and  H.  M.  Brooks ;  pres- 
ent membership,  50;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school 
began  1893;  present  enrollment,  51. 

Before  the  chapel  was  built  in  1893,  meetings  were  held 
and  a  congregation  organized  in  the  White  Elm  Schoolhouse, 
in  just  what  year  is  not  known.  Min.  C.  C.  Boyer  resided 
on  his  farm  near  here  and  was  the  leading  man  in  the  move- 
ment. Thomas  Goodman,  J.  J.  Vanhoutin,  James  Connor 
and  Harmon  Gregg  preached  here.  After  the  chapel  was 
built,  the  congregation  was  reorganized  by  H.  M.  Brooks. 

The  church  has  given  to  the  ministry  two  brothers — T. 
A.  and  E.  E.  Boyer. 

Chrisman. 

Organized  1890,  by  G.  W.  Pearl;  present  membership, 
12;  value  of  property,  $1,500. 

Dr.  J.  M.  Welch,  now  deceased,  led  this  work  in  its 
earlier  years.  A  church  building  that  was  owned  by  the 
Universalists  was  bought  and  used. 

The  church  is  very  feeble.  There  were  about  forty  char- 
ter members. 

Conlogue, 

Organized  1872,  by  Z.  T.  Sweeney;  value  of  property, 
$400;  never  had  a  Bible  school. 


CHURCHES  185 

The  house  was  built  in  1873.  Preaching  now  only 
periodically. 

Dudley. 

Organized  1868;  value  of  property,  $1,000. 
This   church   is   about   extinct.      Landlordism    and   ultra- 
conservatism  have  proved  its  undoing. 

Hume. 

Organized  1875,  by  C.  C.  Boyer;  present  membership, 
167;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $2,700;  Bible 
school  began  1881  ;  present  enrollment,  139. 

J.  W.  Perkins  was  the  first  minister.  For  about  six  years 
the  congregation  worshiped  in  the  old  schoolhouse.  Squire 
Hume  gave  the  ground  and  the  chapel  was  finished  in  1881. 
Miss  Maggie  Roberts  was  the  first  person  baptized  in  the 
new  building.  The  congregation  is  now  looking  toward 
another  house  of  worship. 

To  the  ministry  the  church  has  given  T.  T.  Roberts. 

Kansas. 

Organized  1856,  by  A.  D.  Fillmore ;  present  membership, 
350;  value  of  property,  $25,000;  Bible  school  began  1856; 
present  enrollment,  250. 

This  town  was  laid  in  1853  on  a  flat  prairie,  where  deer, 
wolves,  wild  ducks  and  geese,  prairie  chickens  and  snakes 
made  their  homes.  In  1854  a  union  chapel  was  built,  the 
title  to  which  was  in  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church.  The 
building  stood  on  the  present  site  of  the  National  Bank. 
I'hree  denominations  were  interested  in  the  property.  In 
this  building  the  church  of  Christ  was  organized  with  six- 
teen charter  members,  as  follows:  John  K.  Boyer  and  wife, 
W.  F.  Boyer  and  wife,  Mrs.  Katherine  Brown,  Mrs.  Harriett 
Cornell,  Mrs.  Evaline  Curd,  Presley  Martin  and  wife.  Mrs. 
Margaret  Atkins,  James  Wrieht  and  wife,  Angeline  Wilhoit, 
Sarah  Wilhoit,  Pendleton  Wilhoit  and  Sarah  Arterburn.  It 
was  some  time  afterward  that  the  officers  were  elected,  for 


186  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

the  first  elders  were:  Edward  Pinnell,  J.  K.  Boyer  and  N.  S. 
Wiley,  with  W.  F.  Boyer,  J.  G,  Wilhoit,  W.  L.  Boyer  and 
A.  J.  Pinnell  for  deacons. 

The  "union  church"  did  not  work  well ;  so  in  1857  the 
Disciples  put  up  a  chapel  of  their  own.  The  lot  was  given 
by  Mr.  William  Brown,  who  was  an  Englishman  by  birth 
and  "a  brother-in-law  of  the  congregation."  This  building 
was  much  improved  in  1884.  It  gave  place  in  1910  to  a 
beautiful  modern  edifice  erected  during  the  pastorate  of 
E.  F.  Thomas. 

To  the  ministry  the  church  has  given  N.  S.  Ha3mes,  Z.  T. 
Sweeney,  Gilbert  Zink,  Ellis  Purlee  and  Fred  Jacobs. 

The  following  incident  illustrates  the  viewpoint  and 
experiences  of  many  Disciples  in  the  fifties  and  sixties.  The 
services  in  union  chapel  were  by  rotation,  the  preachers 
taking  their  days.  A  young  man  from  New  England  came 
to  the  village.  Having  a  good  voice,  he  was  pleased  to 
assist  in  the  singing  at  church.  He  used  a  tuning-fork  to 
help  pitch  the  tunes.  He  sang  the  tenor.  Here  were  two 
unheard-of  things  in  the  community — a  tuning-fork  and  a 
tenor.  This  at  once  brought  to  his  feet  one  of  the  aged 
rulers  of  the  assembly.  He  informed  the  young  man  that 
he  "must  drop  that  pinching-bug  and  dry  up  that  mule- 
braying."  His  indignation  spread  so  that  not  until  the 
young  man  was  arrested,  tried  and  fined  $5  for  disturbing 
public  worship,  was  the  wrath  of  the  righteous  man  appeased. 

Little  Grove   (Vermilion). 

Organized  1826,  by  Samuel  McGee ;  present  membership, 
40;  value  of  property,  $500.     Never  had  a  Bible  school. 

The  first  organization  of  the  Little  Grove  Church,  six 
miles  east  of  Paris,  was  in  the  fall  of  1826,  in  the  home  of 
Samuel  McGee.  The  church  was  formed  through  the  efiforts 
chiefly  of  Mrs.  Mary  INTorrison  and  her  sister.  Mrs.  Anna 
Fitzgerald.  These  women,  with  others  in  this  settlement,  had 
come  to  Edgar  County  from  Kentucky,  where  they  had  come 
to  some  knowledge  of  the  Restoration  movement.    The  Little 


CHURCHES  187 

Grove  congregation  was  always  a  church  of  Christ;  it  was 
never  in  any  way  connected  with  the  Christian  Denomination. 
Meetings  for  worship  were  first  held  in  residences,  next  in 
the  McGee  Schoolhouse,  and  about  1829  in  the  Prior  School- 
house.  By  1832  the  members  had  increased  to  near  one 
hundred.  People  would  go  sometimes  a  day's  travel  to  be  at 
the  Saturday  night  and  Sunday  meetings.  It  was  not  uncom- 
mon for  several  of  the  early  settlers  to  take  their  families 
together  in  an  ox-wagon  to  go  to  church.  In  1835  the  con- 
gregation began  to  build  a  meeting-house,  which  was  finished 
in  1837  with  the  seats.  This  served  until  1875,  when  the 
present  house  was  built.  In  its  earlier  years  this  church  was 
visited  by  Alexander  Campbell,  John  O'Kane,  Daniel  W. 
Elledge,  Love  H.  Jameson,  the  brothers  Job  and  Michel 
Combs,  and  others.  The  leading  resident  preacher  up  to 
1865  was  William  Hartley,  who  was  assisted  by  Elijah  Ward 
and  other  members.  The  congregation  has  never  been  with- 
out its  active  officers  and  has  never  had  any  serious  trouble. 
Hundreds  have  been  members  here.  Many  have  come  and 
more  have  gone.  Now  only  a  few  remain,  mostly  women, 
who  meet  for  worship  every  Lord's  Day.  Its  wide  influences 
no  man  may  measure.     No  regular  preaching  now. 

John  J.  Vanhouten,  a  grandson  of  Mrs.  Mary  Morrison, 
came  to  the  ministry  here. 

Metcalf. 

Present  membership,  125;  value  of  property,  $1,500; 
Bible  school  enrollment,  70. 

Nevins. 

Organized  1858,  by  William  Hurtly  and  A.  D.  Fillmore; 
present  membership,  19;  value  of  property,  $600;  never  had 
a  Bible  school. 

This  congregation  was  organized  in  the  country  with 
forty  charter  members  and  known  as  the  Franklin  Church. 
The   building  was   moved   to   the   near-by    railway    station. 


188  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Kevins,  in  1881,  and  the  church  has  since  been  known  by 
that  name. 

It  has  given  William  T.  Simms  and  William  H.  Simms 
to  the  ministry.     Both  are  dead. 

Some  of  those  who  preached  here  were  Nathan  Wright, 
Thomas  Goodman,  Wm.  Holt,  A.  J.  Frank,  W.  H.  Simms, 
J.  W.  Perkins,  John  N.  Mulkey,  Hezekiah  Williams,  Isaac 
Lamb  and  H.  W.  Cuppy. 

Oliver. 

Organized  1896,  by  I.  J.  Lamb;  present  membership,  100; 
value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible  reading. 

A  conservative  congregation  that  was  re-enforced  from 
the  Big  Creek  Church. 

Paris. 

Organized  1855,  by  John  C.  New ;  present  membership, 
i,7l4;  value  of  property,  $65,000;  Bible  school  began  I860: 
present  enrollment,  435. 

There  were  thirty-one  charter  members.  The  first  house 
for  worship  was  purchased  of  the  Presbyterians.  The  second 
was  a  two-story  brick  erected  in  1866.  The  present  stone 
edifice  was  finished  in  1897  during  the  pastorate  of  A.  E. 
Dubber.  The  church  has  had  nineteen  pastors  and  a  host  of 
fine  men  and  women.  Among  those  who  have  contributed 
not  a  little  to  its  development  were  Geo.  W.  Redmon,  LeRoy 
Wiley,  A.  J.  Hunter,  and  Fred,  Larz  and  Henry  Augustus. 
Mr.  George  Brown,  for  twelve  years  county  superintendent 
of  schools,  is  the  Bible-school  superintendent.  His  is  a  fine 
union  of  head  and  heart. 

From  the  estate  of  Mr.  Larz  A.  Augustus  the  congrega- 
tion received  $25,300.  Of  this  amount,  $5,000  may  be  spent 
as  two-thirds  of  the  membership  may  vote :  the  balance  is  to 
be  held  in  trust  and  the  interest  only  "used  in  the  best  man- 
ner known  to  said  church  for  the  extension  of  the  cause  of 
Christ." 

For  the  past  eight  years  the  church  has  supported  Fred 
E.  Hagin  as  a  missionary  in  Japan. 


CHURCHES  189 

D.  N.  Wetzell  and  W.  B.  Zimmerman  have  been  given  to 
the  ministry. 

The  church  owns  a  chapel  in  the  south  side  of  the  city 
and  conducts  a  mission  there.     H.  H.  Peters  is  the  pastor. 

Pleasant  Hill  (Kansas). 

Organized  1870,  by  Harmon  Gregg;  present  membership, 
207;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1870; 
present  enrollment,   118. 

Is  located  five  miles  southeast  of  Kansas.  There  were 
forty-six  charter  members.  A.  Boyer  and  J.  N.  Shoptaugh 
were  chosen  and  set  apart  as  elders,  and  R.  Ratts,  Ezra  Nay 
and  H.  Hines  as  deacons. 

A  good  brick  church,  contiguous  to  a  cemetery,  was 
built  soon  after  the  formation  of  the  congregation  and  is  still 
used. 

This  country  church  has  been  fruitful  in  the  production 
of  preachers.  They  were  D.  W.  Nay,  S.  I.  Stark,  J.  A. 
Shoptaugh,  S.  W.  Nay,  E.  F.  Kerans,  Ross  Kerans,  Roley 
Nay  and  Bruce  Nay. 


Redmon. 


Organized  1907,  by  L.  Hadaway;  present  membership, 
80;  value  of  property,  $6,000;  Bible  school  began  1807; 
present  enrollment,  118. 

State  Line  (Paris). 

Organized  1862;  present  membership,  30;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $700;  Bible  school  began  1880;  present  enrollment,  50. 

A  number  of  people  entered  into  an  organization  calling 
themselves  the  Clay's  Prairie  Church  of  Christ  from  the 
schoolhouse  of  that  name.  They  met  there  until  1869,  when 
the  house  of  worship  was  built.  Since  then  the  congregation 
has  been  known  as  State  Line  because  the  chaoel  is  near 
the  Indiana  line.  The  first  elders  were  John  Hunter  Tthe 
father  of  A.  J.  Hunter),  Tames  Watson  and  Richard  Hobbs. 

Among  its  ministers  there  were  Nathan  Wright,  Abner 


190  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Daily,  Thomas  Goodman,  William  Holt,  G.  L.  Rude,  J.  B. 
May  field,  Geo.  E.  and  Z.  T.  Sweeney  (father  and  son),  Wm. 
Simms  and  W.  W.  Jacobs. 

William  Holt,  a  fine  preacher,  was  the  product  of  this 
church. 

Success  (Vermilion). 

Organized  1895,  by  H.  Williams;  present  membership, 
75;  value  of  property,  $600;  Bible  school  began  1895; 
present  enrollment,  50.     F.   C.  Volker  is  the  clerk. 

EDWARDS    COUNTY. 

Albion. 

Organized  1841,  by  Elijah  Goodwin;  present  membership, 
331;  value  of  property,  $1,800;  Bible  school  enrollment,  221. 

The  formation  of  this  church,  August  4,  was  just  after 
the  old  brick  Christian  chapel  was  finished.  Daniel  Orange, 
a  fine  type  of  Englishman,  led  in  this  movement.  He  was  a 
descendant  of  the  French  Huguenots  and  settled  here  in 
1818.  He  had  heard  the  Campbell-Purcell  debate  in  Cin- 
cinnati in  1836  and  was  fully  persuaded  that  the  doctrinal 
position  of  the  Disciples  was  right.  The  charter  members 
were  Daniel,  Elizabeth,  Elizabeth  S.  and  John  B.  Orange — 
a  fruitful  beginning  indeed.  Four  weeks  later  Alfred  Flower, 
who  married  Elizabeth  S.  Orange — with  Charles  and  Sarah 
Burns — was  added  to  the  number.  The  first  elder  was  Daniel 
Orange,  and  the  first  deacons  were  Alvin  Kenner  and 
George  Goodwin.  Elijah  Goodwin  was  employed  one-fourth 
of  the  time  at  $50  the  year.  Like  most  churches,  this  one 
met  reverses,  but  it  has  grown  to  wide  service  and  useful- 
ness. The  present  chapel  was  built  in  1868  and  a  new 
building  is  in  process  of  construction. 

Bone  Gap. 

Organized  1886,  by  J.  S.  Rose;  present  membership,  154; 
value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1886;  present 
enrollment,  175. 


CHURCHES  191 

Mr.  Rose  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  establishing  this 
church,  serving  it  four  years.  Under  his  ministry  the 
house  was  built  in  1887.     W.  D.  Walker  is  correspondent. 

Browns. 

Organized  1894,  by  Zacharia  Harris ;  present  membership, 
144;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1894; 
present  enrollment,  134. 

The  Bonpas  Church,  located  on  the  eastern  border  of  the 
county,  was  organized  by  Amos  Miller  in  1838.  It  served 
its  generation  and  the  remnant  finally  united  with  Browns. 

Ellery. 

Organized  1890,  by  J.  C.  T.  Hall;  present  membership, 
150;  value  of  property,  $3,500;  Bible  school  began  1888; 
present  enrollment,  85. 

This  congregation  had  its  beginning  in  a  Bible  school 
that  was  started  at  the  Woods  Schoolhouse  in  1888  and 
continued  two  years.  The  people  of  the  community  were 
led  by  Min.  J.  C.  T.  Hall  in  the  erection  of  a  frame  church 
which  was  finished  in   1890. 

Shiloh  (West  Salem). 

Organized  1862,  by  J.  C.  T.  Hall;  present  membership, 
125;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  enrollment,  109. 

The  location  is  eight  miles  south  of  Albion.  A  large 
per  cent,  of  the  people  of  this  community  originally  came 
from  Kentucky,  so  it  was  sometimes  called  ''Little  Ken- 
tucky." It  is  noted  for  its  hospitality.  The  church  was 
organized  in  the  barn  of  James  McKinsey. 

West  Salem. 

Organized  1858,  by  J.  C.  T.  Hall;  present  membership, 
175;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $13,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  235. 

This  church  was  formed  by  uniting  the  "Long  Point" 
congregation  with  one  that  was  meeting  at  the  residence  of 


192         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

Jas.  F.  Barney.  James  Kinner  and  Blashel  Foster  led  in  this 
work.  The  twenty-nine  charter  members  signed  the  follow- 
ing agreement:  "We  whose  names  are  hereunto  annexed, 
being  immersed  believers  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  do 
mutually  and  voluntarily  associate  ourselves  together  in  a 
congregational  capacity  to  be  known  as  the  Congregation  of 
the  Lord  at  West  Salem,  taking  the  Christian  Scriptures  as 
our  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  taking  no  name  as  a 
church  name  but  such  as  they  authorize." 

West  Village  (Albion). 

Organized  1858;  present  membership,  293;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $2,000;  Bible  school  enrollment,  250. 

This  church  is  four  miles  north  of  Albion.  It  was  a 
scion  of  the  Little  Prairie  Church.  It  was  first  known  as 
Village  Church,  but  as  there  was  another  not  far  distant  by 
that  name,  this  one  was  changed  to  West  Village.  The  first 
meeting  was  held  in  an  old  log  building  one  and  a  half  miles 
from  the  present  site.  A  BilDle  school  was  conducted  there 
for  a  number  of  years,  with  occasional  preaching.  A  frame 
building  was  erected  in  1858,  which  was  used  till  the  present 
house  was  built  in  1896. 

The  Curtisville  Church  was  organized  by  J.  C.  T.  Hall 
in  1854.  A  few  years  later  it  united  with  the  West  Village 
congregation.  But  in  1878  it  was  reorganized  and  built  a 
chapel.    In  later  years  it  disorganized. 

The  charter  members  were  J.  T.,  Nancy  J.  and  Mary 
Hunt;  W.  W.,  Nancy  and  Edward  Willis;  Laurie  Stroup ; 
W.  A.  and  Sarah  T.  Inskipp ;  John  T.,  Ann  C.  and  Eliza 
Woods;  Joe  J.  Mitchell,  Malinda  Mann,  Harriett  McKibben, 
Harriett  Winters,  Thomas  and  Mary  Niles,  William  and 
Narcissa  Scott,  and  Jane  I.  Lines. 

Little  Prairie  (Ellery). 

Organized  1823,  by  Elder  Alan  Emmerson ;  present  mem- 
bership, 100;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 125. 


CHURCHES  193 

This  church,  located  about  four  miles  northwest  of  Albion, 
was  for  sixteen  years  a  part  of  the  Christian  Denomination. 
It  was  organized  in  the  house  of  Alan  Emmerson,  near  the 
site  of  the  present  church  building.  The  first  elder  was 
Alan  Emmerson,  and  the  first  deacons  were  Joseph  Apple- 
gath,  Thomas  Gill  and  William  Hall.  Amos  Willis  was  the 
first  preacher  of  the  Christian  Denomination  in  the  county 
and  the  first  minister  of  this  church.     He  died  in  1840. 

The  first  house  of  worship  of  this  congregation  was  a 
frame — covered,  ceiled  and  weather-boarded  with  clapboards 
and  plastered  with  post-oak  clay.  It  had  a  brick  chimney 
and  fireplace.  With  the  passing  years,  that  bear  all  things 
away,  this  superior  temple  of  its  time  gave  place  to  another 
frame  building  that  is  still  in  use. 

In  1837  the  congregation  came  into  the  Restoration  move- 
ment through  the  leading  of  Amos  Willis,  a  minister  of  the 
older  congregation.  Later  J.  M.  Mathes,  John  O'Kane, 
Moses  Goodwin  and  others  served  the  church. 

Marion  (West  Salem). 

Organized  1843,  by  Elijah  Goodwin ;  present  member- 
ship, 150;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 82. 

This  church  is  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  county  and 
is  on  the  bank  of  Sugar  Creek.  Its  first  elders  were  William 
Poster  and  N.  A.  Shelby ;  its  first  deacons,  Quinton  Nicks 
and  B.  F.  Stark.  It  was  formed  in  the  residence  of  Quinton 
Nicks.  Meetings  were  held  in  the  home  of  N.  A.  Shelby 
and  others  till  the  chapel  was  built.  Besides  Elijah  and 
Moses  Goodwin,  J.  Standish  and  Cornelius  Aids  preached 
there  in  the  earlier  years. 

It  gave  George  Morrall  to  the  ministry. 

New  Hope   (Browns). 

Present  membership,  52;  value  of  property,  $800;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  44. 

Only  occasional  meetings  are  held  here  now. 
7 


194  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

The  East  Village  Church,  after  years  of  work,  also  disor- 
e^anized. 

^  EFFINGHAM    COUNTY. 

Min.  Claiborne  Wright  began  the  work  of  the  Disciples 
in  this  county  in  1862.  He  had  settled  on  a  farm  east  of 
Mason  in  1861.  He  held  meetings  in  the  Craver  School- 
house,  and  organized  a  church  of  Christ  there  with  the 
following  members :  Margaret  A.  Stephens ;  Paschal  C, 
Louisa,  Celestus,  David  and  Talitha  Leonard;  Jefferson, 
Catherine,  Claiborne,  Charlotte,  Catherine  M.,  Wm.  T.,  Ellen 
Jane  and  Susan  Wright ;  Michael  and  Katherine  Redinbaugh, 
Ezra  and  Phebe  Morphew,  Margaret  Turner,  Mary  A.  Cra- 
ver, and  Wm.  D.  and  Robert  D.  Porter.  Additions  to  these 
were  made  steadily.  A  large  shed  used  for  sheltering  sheep 
in  winter  was  turned  into  a  tabernacle  and  in  this  the  con- 
gregation met  for  worship.  In  1866  the  place  of  meeting 
was  changed  to  the  new  schoolhouse  three  miles  east  of 
Mason.  After  a  time  debates  and  divisions  occurred,  some 
of  the  members  going  to  the  Universalists  and  others  uniting 
with  the  U.  B.  Church.  Min.  A.  J.  Harrell  revived  the  work 
in  1879,  which  led  to  the  formation  of  the  church  in  Mason 

Beecher  City. 

Organized  1902,  by  B.  S.  Taylor ;  present  membership, 
161;  value  of  property,  $1,600;  Bible  school  began  1907; 
present  enrollment,  136. 

The  church  was  organized  in  the  schoolhouse  and  met 
for  worship  in  a  canning  factory  until  the  chapel  was  erected 
in  1907,  B.  S.  Taylor,  J.  L.  Huffcult  and  M.  E.  Steele  were 
the  three  men  who  were  ably  assisted  by  twenty-two  women 
in  the  church  during  its  first  years.  Evangelist  J.  E.  Story 
added  168  people  in  one  meeting  and  thus  helped  the  congre- 
gation to  a  stronger  position. 

Dieterich. 

Present  membership,  65;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  52. 


CHURCHES  195 

Edgewood. 

Organized  1890,  by  W.  T.  Gordon ;  present  membership, 
110;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1890; 
present  enrollment,  70. 

Minister  Gordon  preached  Monday  evening,  May  19, 
1890,  in  the  M.  E.  Church.  A  further  use  of  the  house  was 
refused  him.  Then  he  accepted  an  invitation  from  the  trus- 
tees to  occupy  the  public-school  house.  When  he  returned 
the  following  July  he  found  the  doors  closed  against  him. 
The  managers  of  the  Opera  Hall  tendered  him  the  use  of 
their  auditorium.  Following  this  opening,  a  church  of  thirty- 
seven  members  was  organized  the  following  September.  A 
house  of  worship  was  built  in  1891. 

Dr.  Joseph  Hall  has  been  the  chief  leader  and  supporter 
of  this  congregation.     There  are  other  faithful  servants. 

Effingham. 

Organized  1890,  by  W.  T.  Gordon ;  value  of  property, 
$10,000;  Bible  school  began   1890. 

The  first  work  of  the  Disciples  in  Effingham  began  near 
1867.  There  was  a  partial  organization  at  that  date.  Occa- 
sional meetings  were  held  in  the  courthouse.  A  lot  was 
donated  in  the  west  part  of  town  and  a  small  frame  building 
was  erected  thereon.  This  was  burned  a  few  years  there- 
after. Then,  by  reason  of  a  lack  of  good  leadership,  the 
congregation  went  to  pieces. 

When  the  beloved  H.  Y.  Kellar  moved  to  Effingham  in 
1888,  he  gathered  together  the  remnants  and  preached  to 
them  in  the  temple  until  the  church  building  was  erected  in 
1893.  The  citizens  of  the  city  helped  liberally  in  this  enter- 
prise. 

Elliottsfown    (Dieterich). 

Present  membership,  54;  value  of  property,  $650;  no 
Bible  school. 

This  place  was  the  residence  of  Barlow  Higgins,  who  did 
good  work  through  many  years. 


196  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Mason. 

Organized  1880,  by  W.  T.  Gordon ;  present  membership, 
125;  value  of  property,  $1,700;  Bible-school  enrollment,  112. 

This  church  received  its  first  impulse  from  a  country 
congregation  east  of  the  town.  Meetings  were  held  in  the 
Baptist  chapel  and  the  Masonic  Hall.  The  church  is  much 
indebted  to  Minister  Gordon.     It  is  doing  good  service. 

Watson. 

Present  membership,  30;  value  of  property,  $500;  Bible- 
school   enrollment,   32. 

Mins.  Wiiford  Field,  Barlow  Higgins,  W.  S.  Mesnard 
and  Frank  Shane  have  done  faithful  work  in  this  country. 

FAYETTE   COUNTY. 

Arne  Prairie  (Brownstown), 

Organized  1907,  by  R.  Leland  Brown ;  present  member- 
ship, 17;  value  of  property,  $200;  summer  Bible  school. 

This  is  five  miles  midway  between  Brownstown  and 
Loogootee. 

Bethany    (Brownstown). 

Present  membership,  61 ;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  65. 

This  church  is  about  eight  miles  northwest  of  Browns- 
town. It  is  a  new  organization  and  was  made  up  largely 
of  members  who  previously  belonged  to  the  New  Hope 
Church,  a  near-by  country  congregation  whose  chapel  burned 
in  1867. 

Bethany  congregation  gave  W.  B.  Hopper  to  the  ministry. 

Bingham. 

Organized  1911,  by  D.  R.  Bebout;  present  membership, 
15;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1911. 

A  little  congregation  was  formed  in  1892  by  Min.  John 
Meeks,  but  it  was   short-lived.     Through  the   insistence  of 


CHURCHES  197 

Mrs.  W.  B.  Shelton,  Mrs.  Sarah  Hurst  and  Mrs.  Ellen 
Harper,  a  meeting  was  held  by  Min.  C.  M.  Smithson  in 
1910  which  led  to  the  organization  of  the  church,  the  next 
year,  of  thirteen  members. 

The  meetings  were  held  in  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  temple. 
Inasmuch  as  this  building  was  running  down,  the  society 
proposed  to  transfer  to  the  people  of  the  town  as  a  union 
church.  When  the  time  for  action  came,  the  denominational 
representatives  withdrew ;  hence  the  property  was  deeded 
to  the  Christian  Church.  It  was  thoroughly  repaired  and 
put  in  a  good  condition. 

Bro7imstomn. 

Organized  1871,  by  Charles  Smith;  present  membership, 
206;  value  of  property,  $17,500;  Bible  school  began  1871; 
present  enrollment,  190. 

An  active  church  of  not  a  few  good  people.  Four  Mile, 
New  Hope  and  Liberty  congregations  all  supplied  members 
to  Brownstown. 

S.  D.  Morton  and  Wm.  Rode  are  true  helpers. 

Four-mile  Prairie  (Brownstown). 

Organized  1843,  by  Wm.  Chaplin  and  Wm.  Schooly; 
present  membership,  20;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  38. 

The  first  members  were  Moses  D.  and  John  F.  Morey, 
Jacob  Tinker  and  wife,  Abner  Griffith  and  wife,  Mrs. 
Campbell,  Mrs.  Smith  and  M.  W.  Hickerson,  who  was  a 
good  preacher.  This  congregation  died  and  after  some  years 
revived.  The  chapel  was  built  in  1912.  This  is  the  home  of 
Min.  Geo.  T.  Bridges. 

Liberty  (Brownstown). 

Organized  by  Wm.  Schooley ;  present  membership,  75 ; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  70. 

This  is  one  of  the  oldest  churches  in  the  county. 

It  was  organized  in  the  residence  of  Mr.  Van  Workman. 


198  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Later  they  built  a  chapel,  which  was  burned  down  in  1913. 
Some  of  the  leading  members  were  Mr.  Van  Workman, 
Joshua  Arnold,  Samuel  Dayhoof,  John  and  William  Sefton, 
William  Buchanan,  Joseph  Reynolds  and  William  Dively. 

Macedonia  (Loogootee). 

Organized  1868,  by  Charles  Smith;  present  membership, 
75;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1869; 
present  enrollment,  75. 

Worshiped  in  the  Rush  and  Eldorado  Schoolhouses  till 
1901,  when  the  chapel  was  built  midway  between  the  two. 

Gave  C.  M.  Smithson  to  the  ministry.  James  Idleman, 
the  grandfather  of  Finis  Idleman,  helped  form  this  congre- 
gation. The  present  elders  are  H.  H.  Smithson,  Elihu  Ful- 
ton, Samuel  Odell,  George  Underwood,  Wyatt  Bledsoe  and 
Charles  Mills. 

Pittsburg   ( Vandalia ) . 

Present  membership,  34;  value  of  property,  $1,000. 

Ten  miles  southwest  of  Vandalia.  It  was  probably 
formed  in  the  early  seventies.  The  elders  now  are  William 
Rodecker,  John  Hopkins  and  Samuel  Jeffs.  Mrs.  Sarah 
Collier  and  Mrs.  Horatio  Evans  are  also  active  members. 

Ramsey. 

Organized  1851,  by  Wesley  Smith;  present  membership, 
123;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  36. 

Among  the  first  members  there  were  Elijah,  Elisha  and 
Bazil  Prather:  Alex.  Williams,  George  Bartlett,  William 
McCary  and  Jacob  Miller.  The  congregation  was  formed  at 
Chandler's  Schoolhouse.  Meetings  were  held  there  and  in 
the  houses  of  the  members  till  1866,  when  a  brick  chapel 
was  erected  in  Ramsey. 

St.  Elmo. 

Organized  by  W.  H.  Drummett ;  present  membership, 
167;  value  of  property,  $9,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  189. 


CHURCHES  199 

Union  (Ramsey). 

Present  membership,  35;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bibles- 
school  enrollment,  30. 

The  chapel  was  built  in  1872  on  the  farm  of  John  H. 
Welch,  now  in  Carson  Township.    It  is  doing  fairly  well. 

Extinct  Congregations. 

An  old  congregation  called  Antioch,  in  Bowling  Green 
Township,  lived  in  the  seventies.  Conservatives  paralyzed 
its  activities  and,  later,  their  own.  Some  of  the  members 
went  to   Herrick. 

There  was  a  small  congregation  near  the  present  town 
of  Holliday  which  died.  The  original  members  were  Wash. 
Riley  and  wife,  Wm.  Fulk  and  wife.  Griffin  Tipsword, 
Thomas  Holman  and  wife,  John  and  Charles  Dunaway. 

A  congregation  at  Loudon  has  ceased  to  exist. 

For  years  there  was  a  congregation  in  Vandalia.  It 
perished  from  a  lack  of  leadership. 

There  was  a  congregation  in  the  seventies  near  Laclede. 
It  was  composed  mostly  of  renters  and  so  died. 

Minister's. 

J.  O.  Henry  was  a  great  force  in  the  churches  of  this 
county  from  1862  to  1884. 

Jacob  Miller  was  a  man  of  strong  character,  but  limited 
education.  At  ninety  years  of  age  he  still  resides  on  his 
farm  near   Ramsey. 

George  T.  Bridges  grew  up  near  Ramsey.  He  has  always 
been  active,  energetic  and  enthusiastic.  His  home  is  south 
of  Brownstown. 

John  Meeks,  Charles  Smith  and  Alichael  Hickerson  were 
all  former  preachers,  and  did  unselfish  work  in  their  day.  All 
have  gone  hence. 

R.  Leland  Brown  is  a  native  of  this  county  and  has  been 
in  the  ministry  since  1869.  He  has  been  very  active  and 
useful  there  and  elsewhere. 


200  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

FORD    COUNTY. 

Gibson. 

Organized  1872,  by  G.  W.  Campbell;  present  member- 
ship, 430;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $27,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  448. 

There  was  occasional  preaching  for  three  years  in  neigh- 
boring schoolhouses  and  the  town  previous  to  the  organization 
of  the  church. 

There  were  nineteen  charter  members.  H.  N.  Karr  and 
A.  E.  Pirkey  were  the  first  elders,  with  Andrew  Jordan, 
John  Dillingham,  A.  Canterbury  and  J.  B.  Lott,  the  first 
deacons.  For  six  years  the  meetings  were  held  in  Union 
Hall  and  the  church  was  served  by  Mins.  Clark  Braden,  W. 
S.  Campbell,  F.  Collins,  J.  F.  Smith  and  Samuel  Lowe. 

By  reason  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Lott  and  financial  reverses 
of  Mr.  Jordon,  the  principal  financial  supports,  the  congre- 
gation ceased  to  meet.  This  was  in  1880.  For  ten  years 
following,  the  local  C.  W.  B.  M.  kept  going.  So  in  1890 
the  State  Board  of  Missions  sent  Min.  J.  E.  Jewett  to  revive 
the  church.  This  he  did.  Mrs.  O.  H.  Damon  (nee  Mrs. 
J.  H.  Lott)  gave  the  lot  and  Mr.  Jordon  donated  the  brick. 
The  building  was  erected  and  the  congregation  began  work 
again  with  about  twenty-five  members. 

The  pastors  who  followed  were  M.  P.  Hayden,  C.  C. 
Rowlison,  R.  F.  Thrapp,  W.  W.  Sniff,  S.  E.  Fisher,  John 
R.  Golden,  and  L.  O.  Lehman,  who  is  the  present  minister. 

The  building  has  been  much  enlarged  and  modernized. 
The  church  has  in  its  membership  a  superior  class  of  Chris- 
tian men  and  women. 

Mt.  Olivet  (Paxton). 

Organized  1857,  by  Marston  Dudley ;  present  member- 
ship, 84;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible-school  began  1860; 
present  enrollment,  52. 

This  is  the  oldest  church  in  Ford  County  and  has  con- 
tributed of  its  members  to  many  other  congregations.    Jacob 


CHURCHES  201 

Straxer  and  wife,  Marston  Dudley  and  wife,  and  J.  P.  Botton 
and  wife  began  this  work.  Besides  Mr.  Dudley,  Rolla  M. 
Martin  and  J.  L.  Canada  ministered  to  the  congregation  in 
its  early  years.  Mr.  Botton  was  the  Bible-school  superin- 
tendent fifty  years  ago  and  one  of  the  most  useful  members. 
Elmer  Higdon  and  Ernest  Higdon  were  given  to  the 
ministry. 

Paxton. 

Present  membership,  150;  value  of  property,  including 
parsonage,  $7,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  160. 

This  church  was  formed  in  the  seventies.  It  has  given 
Glen  Mills  and  Jay  Bonham  to  the  ministry. 

FRANKLIN    COUNTY. 

Benton. 

Organized  1889,  by  W.  H.  Ingram ;  present  membership, 
200;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $9,000;  Bible 
school  began  1889;  present  enrollment,  100. 

This  church  was  organized  in  the  courthouse  under  the 
auspices  of  the  State  Missionary  Society.  But  it  is  lacking 
in  spiritual  vision. 

Christopher. 

Present  membership,  385;  value  of  property,  $6,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  240. 

This  was  among  the  early  congregations  of  the  county. 
It  was  at  first  a  country  church,  but  the  coal  interests  grew 
the  village  into  a  city.  It  has  kept  pace  and  is  active  and 
growing. 

Long  Prairie  (Benton). 

Present  membership,  50;  value  of  property,  $800;  no 
Bible  school. 

An  old  country  church  seven  miles  northeast  of  Benton. 
Irregular  preaching. 


202  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Miner  ( Mulkeytown ) . 

Present  membership,  108;  value  of  property,  $350;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  45. 

This  is  twelve  miles  southwest  of  Benton  and  is  one  of 
the  oldest  churches  in  the  county.  It  has  monthly  preach- 
ing.    Mrs.  Adelene  Browning  is  clerk. 

Mulkeyto'ivn. 

Organized  1830,  by  Minister  Underwood;  present  mem- 
bership, 380;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 212. 

This  was  first  known  as  the  Little  Muddy  Church  because 
this  was  the  name  of  the  community  post-office.  Then  it 
came  to  be  known  as  the  "Four-mile  Church"  because  the 
meeting-place  was  in  the  prairie  of  that  name.  After  the 
Civil  War  it  took  the  name  of  the  town  from  John  M.  Mulkey, 
who  built  the  first  house  on  the  town  site.     (See  Chap.  IL) 

Six-m He    ( Elkville ) . 

Organized  1848 ;  present  membership,  88 :  value  of  prop- 
erty, $800;   Bible-school   enrollment,   107. 

This  congregation  was  probably  reorganized  in  later  years 
by  W.  A.  Ingram. 

Sesser. 

Organized  1905;  present  membership,  48;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,875 ;  Bible-school  enrollment,  130. 

West  Frankfort. 

Organized  1902,  by  J.  J.  Harris ;  present  membership, 
132;  value  of  property,  $3,500;  Bible  school  began  1902; 
present  enrollment,   120. 

Minister  Harris  conducted  a  series  of  meetings  in  the 
Congregational  chapel  which  resulted  in  this  organization. 
The  church  house  is  a  monument  to  the  devotion  and  liberality 
of  W.  L.  Crim,  an  able  preacher. 


CHURCHES  203 

White   (Plumfield). 

Organized  1866,  by  Matthew  Wilson ;  present  member- 
ship, 40;  value  of  property,  $800;  no  Bible  school. 

FULTON    COUNTY. 

Astoria. 

Organized  1863,  by  J.  B.  Royal;  present  membership, 
175;  value  of  property,  $4,000;  Bible  school  began  1862; 
present  enrollment,  136. 

Mr.  Royal  held  the  first  meetings  in  the  old  schoolhouse. 
The  first  prayer-meeting  was  also  held  there.  Dr.  B.  C. 
Toler  and  John  Gilliland  were  the  only  persons  present.  The 
charter  members  were  Thomas,  A.  S.,  Uriah,  M.  J.  and 
Unity  Smith :  Isaac,  Joseph,  Ellen,  Eliza,  Catherine,  A.  J. 
and  Susan  M.  Engle ;  Alexander  M.  Bride,  C.  and  Eliza 
Douglas,  J.  A.  Gilhland,  I.  and  Elizabeth  Darrow,  Philip 
Wonderlick,  B.  Munson,  Catherine  Lane  and  Dr.  B.  C.  Toler. 
These  twenty-two  people  signed  the  following  agreement: 
"We,  the  undersigned,  do  agree,  and  hereby  have  agreed,  to 
worship  together  as  a  church  of  Christ,  to  take  the  Holy 
Bible  as  the  only  rule  of  our  faith  and  practice,  and  to  call 
ourselves  Christian  after  the  name  of  Christ  our  Lord." 

The  present  building  was  erected  in  1885.  Dr.  Toler  was 
a  devoted  and  efficient  leader.     W.  M.  Horton  is  the  pastor. 

Bryant. 

Organized  1852,  by  William  Howard ;  present  member- 
ship, 48;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 50. 

This  was  known  first  as  the  New  Antioch  Christian 
Church,  located  in  the  northwest  corner  of  Liverpool  Town- 
ship. It  was  organized  in  the  home  of  T.  N.  Hasson,  with 
fifteen  charter  members.  John  W.  Hopkins  and  Wm.  G. 
Kirkpatric  were  chosen  elders,  and  T.  N.  Hasson,  deacon. 
Little  progress  was  made  until  1858,  when  Evangelist  Wm. 


204  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Grissom  awakened  the  community  by  the  gospel.  The  chapel 
was  built  that  year.  The  meetings  were  held  there  until 
1870,  when  the  house  was  moved  to  the  village  of  Bryant. 
The  church  prospered.  Removals  in  the  following  years  con- 
tributed not  a  few  valuable  members  to  Lewistown,  Cuba  and 
Canton,   leaving  Bryant  a   feeble  congregation. 

H.  C.  Littleton  was  given  to  the  ministry.  James  Wil- 
coxen  was  a  valuable  member  here  and  afterward  at  Lewis- 
town. 

Canton. 

Organized  1890,  by  N.  S.  Haynes ;  present  membership, 
500;  value  of  property,  $20,000;  Bible  school  began  1891; 
present  enrollment,  423. 

An  effort  was  made  in  1878  and  another  in  1888  to  estab- 
lish a  church  of  Christ  in  Canton,  but  neither  proved  perma- 
nent.  In  1890  two  devoted  sisters,  Mrs.  Nellie  Lawrence  and 
Mrs.  H.  A.  Whitnah,  visited  from  house  to  house  all  known 
Disciples  of  Christ  in  the  town.  This  led  to  the  organization 
of  the  church  on  August  31,  with  forty-one  charter  members, 
in  'Temperance  Hall."  S.  E.  Hogue  and  J.  B.  Romine 
v/ere  elected  elders,  with  C.  L.  Whitnah,  T.  L.  Frazier  and 
J.  C.  Peterson,  deacons.  The  young  congregation  was  nur- 
tured by  the  prayers  and  faithful  services  of  some  most 
devoted  people. 

The  well-located  lot  and  first  brick  chapel  cost  $12,500. 
In  1895  a  brick  auditorium  was  added.  Marion  Stevenson 
was  the  first  pastor.  During  his  term  325  additions  were 
gained  in  a  meeting  led  by  Evangelist  T.  A.  Boyer.  Other 
ministers  who  have  served  the  church  were  J.  C.  and  S.  S. 
Lappin,  J.  P.  Lichtenberger,  S.  H.  Zendt,  J.  G.  Waggoner, 
and  now  W.  W.  Denham. 

The  church  has  given  to  the  ministry  W.  H.  Betts  and 
August  F.  Larson. 

From  the  first  the  congregation  has  had  and  has  gfrown 
very  useful  Christian  men  "and  women.  The  Whitnah, 
Lawrence  and  Frazier  families  helped  much.     Their  names 


CHURCHES  205 

are  remembered  tenderly  and  gratefully.     The  congregation 
is  active  in  all  good  works. 

Cuba. 

Organized  1832,  by  John  Secrist;  present  membership, 
226;  value  of  property,  $10,600;  Bible-school  enrollment, 
275. 

Ephraim  Brown,  a  farmer,  laid  out  a  town  about  the 
center  of  Fulton  County  in  1834  and  named  it  IVliddleton. 
Joel  Solomon  founded  another  town  in  1836  and  called  it 
Centerville.  The  two  were  separated  by  a  twelve- foot  alley 
only.  Later  these  two  towns  were  united  and  named  Cuba. 
Joel  Solomon  wanted  a  church ;  so  he  put  up  a  chapel  and 
sold  it  to  the  Christian  congregation  in  1837. 

Min.  John  Secrist,  of  Ohio,  held  a  meeting  in  the  settle- 
ment, and  in  February,  1832,  baptized  eighteen  persons  and 
organized  a  church  with  Charles  Rigdon  and  Morgan  Hart- 
ford as  officers.  This  church  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the 
Military  Tract.  The  congregation  failed  to  pay  for  the 
purchased  chapel,  and  so  lost  the  use  of  it.  Thereafter  their 
meetings  were  held  in  residences,  schoolhouses,  shops,  halls 
and  groves  until  1863.  During  the  larger  part  of  this  period 
the  preaching  was  done  by  transients  like  most  pioneer 
churches  had.  Among  these  were  John  W.  Hopkins,  Wm. 
A.  Howard,  John  Rigdon,  John  Miller,  Dr.  John  Scott  and 
C.  P.  Hollis.  In  1854,  Josiah  Crawford  settled  in  the  com- 
munity and  preached  there.  In  1857,  Wm.  Grissom  went 
into  Fulton  County,  held  meetings,  baptized  hundreds  and 
organized  country  congregations.  His  ministry  at  Cuba  con- 
tinued up  to  1865.  The  second  church  house  was  built  in 
1895.  The  congregfation  took  a  pride  in  loyally  supporting 
and  patronizing  Abingdon  College  while  it  lived,  and  since 
its  discontinuance  it  has  been  equally  loyal  to  Eureka.  It  is  a 
church  with  a  world-wide  vision. 

It  has  given  to  the  ministry  H.  R.  Trickett,  D.  E. 
Hughes,  J.  W.  Carpenter,  George  Snively,  L.  F.  Davis  and 
Charles  Day. 


206  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

The  long  and  excellent  service  that  C.  C.  Riley  gave  the 
congregation  is  worthy  of  note.  He  was  born  within  six 
miles  of  Cuba  in  1845  and  has  lived  in  the  town  since  1868. 
He  died  in  1913. 

Ellisville. 

Organized  1887,  by  D.  E.  Hughes ;  present  membership, 
25;  value  of  property,  $4,000;  Bible  school  began  1899; 
present  enrollment,  35. 

In  1887,  Mr.  Amzi  Byrum,  a  citizen  of  Ellisville,  invited 
Min.  D.  E.  Hughes  to  preach  there.  There  were  eight  pres- 
ent at  the  first  meeting.  The  three  weeks'  revival  closed  with 
a  membership  of  eighty-six  and  the  formation  of  a  church. 
The  old  chapel  of  the  Presbyterians  was  used.  The  new 
chapel  was  built  the  same  year.  For  twelve  years  a  union 
Bible  school  was  maintained ;  after  that  the  church  held  its 
owm  school.  The  village  is  inland  and  populations  tend  away 
from  it. 

Ipava. 

Organized  1842,  by  William  Howard;  present  member- 
ship, 225;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $10,000; 
Bible  school  began  1858;  present  enrollment,  136. 

As  early  as  1840  there  was  quite  an  emigration  from 
Ohio  and  Kentucky  into  the  southern  part  of  Fulton  County. 
Most  of  these  were  members  or  friends  of  the  church  of 
Christ.  Prominent  among  them  was  Wm.  P.  Howard,  then 
a  young  man.  At  first  meetings  were  held  from  house  to 
house.  A  schoolhouse  of  round  logs,  chinked  and  daubed 
with  mud  and  straw,  clapboard  roof,  with  puncheon  seats 
and  floor,  was  built.  In  this  meetings  were  held  and  the 
congregation  formed.  This  was  four  and  one-half  miles 
southeast  of  the  site  of  Ipava.  This  house  was  soon  too 
small  to  accommodate  the  worshipers,  hence  a  church  house 
was  built.  It  was  30  x  40  feet,  with  eight  feet  to  the  ceiling, 
logs  and  poles,  and  roof  of  lap  shingles,  riven  and  shaved. 
The  siding  and  all  finishings  were  of  walnut.  This  came 
to  be  known  as  the  Howard  Church.     To  this  congregation 


CHURCHES  207 

Mr.  Howard  ministered  for  sixteen  years  without  financial 
remuneration,  supporting  his   family  by  his   farm  labor. 

All  the  conditions  were  primitive.  The  women  then  did 
all  the  spinning  and  knitting,  sewing  and  weaving — all  this 
in  addition  to  other  household  cares.  In  this  community, 
when  they  would  attend  the  business  meeting  of  the  church 
on  Saturday  afternoons,  they  would  take  their  knitting  along 
with  them  and  knit  going  to  and  coming  from  the  church. 
Those  living  within  a  radius  of  two  miles  of  the  meeting- 
house generally  walked.  These  women  would  travel  barefoot, 
carrying  their  shoes  and  stockings.  When  near  the  church 
they  would  put  on  these  articles  of  dress.  The  time  and  the 
circumstances  required  economy.  Those  who  rode  went 
horseback,  or  in  the  big  farm-wagons.  Sometimes  they  were 
drawn  by  oxen.  *'01d  Sam"  and  ''Brin"  were  useful  in 
those  days.  The  seat-board  was  an  oak  plank,  cushioned 
with  a  sheepskin.  Everybody  went  to  church,  including  the 
babies. 

In  addition  to  Mr.  Howard,  Hughey  Stoops  and  J.  W. 
Hopkins  were  two  ministers  of  this  community  who  went, 
at  their  own  charges,  preaching  the  Word — all  self-sacrificing 
and  faithful  servants  of  God  and  men.  After  Mr.  Howard's 
removal  to  Texas,  in  1857,  Wm.  Grissom  served  the  congre- 
gation, as  did  also  Wm.  Lorance. 

By  1867  the  building  was  dilapidated  and  the  congrega- 
tion disbanded.  Part  of  the  members  went  to  Summum  and 
part  to  the  Washington  Schoolhouse,  where  Dr.  J.  H. 
Breeden  had  built  up  a  congregation.  In  1869  they  pur- 
chased the  old  M.  E.  chapel  in  Ipava  and  repaired  it.  There- 
after this  town  was  the  place  of  meeting.  In  addition  to 
Dr.  Breeden,  P.  D.  Vermilion,  M.  T.  Cooper  and  L.  M. 
Robinson  served  the  church.  This  chapel  was  not  well 
located;   so  it  was   sold  and  in    1895    a    modern    structure 

Kerton    Valley    (Havana). 

Org-anized  1889:  present  membership,  30;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $800;  Bible  school  began  1889;  present  enrollment,  50. 


208  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

The  deed  to  the  ground  was  made  to  the  Christian 
Church,  but  the  various  religious  people  of  the  community 
united  in  building  the  chapel  and  in  maintaining  a  union 
Bible  school.  The  organization  of  the  congregation  was 
perfected  by  Isaac  Beckelhymer  in  1912.  The  clerk  is  R.  L. 
Cole,  R.  R.  3,  Havana. 

Lewistown. 

Organized  1874,  by  A.  C.  Smither;  present  membership, 
175;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $10,000;  Bible 
school  began  1874;  present  enrollment,  175. 

Of  the  twenty  charter  members,  only  three  survive.  Two 
of  these — Henry  C.  Hasson  and  his  sister.  Miss  Celinda 
Hasson — are  residents  of  Lewistown  and  active  supporters 
of  the  one  faith.  The  chapel,  still  in  use,  was  completed 
and  dedicated  by  O.  A.  Burgess.  In  its  construction  and  in 
maintaining  the  current  expenses  of  the  congregation,  Mr. 
J.  C.  Wilcoxen,  a  royal  Christian  man,  paid  one-third  of  the 
expenses  until  his  life  closed  on  earth. 

Mr.  Hasson  was  superintendent  of  the  Bible  school  for 
thirty-four  years.  Mr.  M.  M.  Beeman  succeeded  in  1908. 
He  is  also  the  head  of  the  city's  schools.  The  congregation 
has  had  its  good  fortune  and  ill,  but  has  steadily  gained 
ground  and  is  now  a  power  in  its  community  for  good. 

It  has  given  to  the  ministry  Marion  Stevenson. 

London  Mills. 

Organized  1887,  by  L.  B.  Meyers;  present  membership, 
111;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1887; 
present  enrollment,  71. 

The  church  at  Hermon,  Knox  County,  sent  its  pastor  to 
London  Mills  and  planted  this  congregation. 

Mr.  W.  W.  Voce  has  been  a  strong  factor  in  this  church. 
Miss  Mina  Fox  is  the  clerk. 

The  church  gave  Clarence  Brown  and  Mr.  Anderson  to 
the  ministry. 


CHURCHES  209 

Summum. 

Organized  1859,  by  Dr.  J.  H.  Breeden;  present  member- 
ship, 200;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began 
1868;  present  enrollment,   117. 

As  soon  as  Dr.  Breeden  settled  in  this  village  in  1858, 
he  began  to  work  for  the  formation  of  a  church  of  Christ 
there.  He  soon  associated  with  himself  Min.  Wm.  Grissom, 
who  was  a  fine  evangelist.  Among  the  charter  members 
were  Dr.  J.  H.  Breeden  and  wife,  Margaret  Horton,  Mrs. 
Clara  Weese,  Sarah  E.  Clary,  Julia  Dary,  Elizabeth  Dabson 
and  John  Thompson. 

For  possibly  forty  years  the  care  of  the  congregation 
devolved  largely  upon  Dr.  Breeden.  Among  others  who 
served  it  were  A.  J.  Kane,  Wm.  Brown,  J.  B.  Royal,  Alex- 
ander Johnston,  J.  B.  McCorkle,  A.  G.  Lucas,  David  Sharp- 
less  and  G.  A.  Burnett. 

The  chapel  was  built  in  1865  and  is  still  in  use.  The 
church  has  given  to  the  Christian  ministry  M.  T.  Cooper,  H. 
O.  Breeden  (a  son  of  Dr.  Breeden),  Guy  Shields  and  Singer 
De  Loss  Smith. 

The  current  of  young  life  flows  outward  as  from  most 
inland  villages. 

Table  Grove, 

Organized  1851,  by  Dr.  J.  H.  Hughes;  present  member- 
ship, 112;  value  of  property,  $10,000;  Bible  school  began 
1851 ;  present  enrollment,  163. 

Some  pioneer  preachers  of  the  churches  of  Christ  began 
to  visit  this  country  in  1840.  Among  them  were  Wm.  How- 
ard, Wm.  Muckley,  Wm.  Rigdon,  J.  W.  Hopkins,  Enos 
Monahan,  John  Harris,  Robert  Foster,  Wm.  Grissom,  Wm. 
Griffin  and  blind  Billy  Brown.  From  their  ministry  about 
one  hundred  persons  became  identified  with  the  cause  of 
primitive  Christianity.  The  church  was  organized  in  the 
schoolhouse.  The  officers  elected  were  John  Hendrickson  and 
Asa    Harlan    as    elders,    with    George    Harlan    and    Ewing 


210  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

McCartney,  deacons.     The  two  resident  members  still  living 
are  Mrs.  Anna  M.  Wilson  and  Addison  Abernathy. 

After  years  of  meetings  in  residences,  barns,  schoolhouses 
and  groves,  the  chapel  was  completed  in  1868  and  dedicated 
by  John  S.  Sweeney.  Later  this  was  replaced  by  a  modern 
building. 

Steven  Davis  was  given  to  the  ministry.  This  church 
has  never  used  questionable  methods  of  raising  money  for 
its  current  expenses.  The  apportionment  plan  is  followed 
and  deficits  are  unknown. 

There  was,  in  1856,  the  Hickory  Grove  Church,  three 
miles  southeast. 

Vermont. 

Organized  1847,  by  Dr.  J.  H.  Hughes ;  present  member- 
ship, 376;  value  of  property,  $9,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 305. 

The  second  church  building  w^as  erected  in  1891  during 
the  pastorate  of  Geo.  W.  Ross.  The  congregation  has  given 
to  the  ministry  J.  H.  and  E.  A.  Gilliland,  Charles  W.  Ross 
and  Mrs.  Nellie  Daugherty-Butchart — a  missionary  in  China. 

Antioch  Mission. 

This  congregation  sustains  a  mission  point.  It  is  located 
two  and  one-half  miles  north  of  Vermont,  has  a  frame 
chapel,  a  Bible  school  of  thirty  people  and  bimonthly 
preaching. 

GREEN    COUNTY. 

Athensville. 

Present  membership,  75  ;  Bible-school  enrollment,  60. 

Carrollton. 

Organized  1832,  by  Barton  W.  Stone :  present  member- 
ship, 90;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $4,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  70. 

The  church   grew    for   several  years,   coming  to   number 


CHURCHES  211 

120  members.  Then  it  waned  through  deaths  and  removals. 
In  1841  a  second  start  was  made  with  twenty-eight  members. 
Its  Ufe  has  moved  Hke  the  tides.  All  of  the  early  pioneer 
preachers  of  that  section  served  here  more  or  less.  Col.  E. 
D.  Baker  became  a  Christian  here.  Many  fine  people  have 
had  their  homes  in  this  church. 

Kane. 

Present  membership,  100  (conservative). 

Roodhouse. 

Organized  1890,  by  H.  G.  Van  Dervoort ;  present  mem- 
bership, 138;  value  of  property,  $7,400;  Bible  school  began 
1890;  present  enrollment,  100. 

Among  the  charter  members  there  were  Mrs.  R.  A. 
Young,  Samuel  and  Sarah  Long,  Mrs.  M.  E.  Briggs  and 
Mrs.  Wm.  Heaton.    The  house  was  built  in  1894. 

Union  (Greenfield). 

Organized  1854,  by  John  S.  Sweeney;  present  member- 
ship, 40;  value  of  property,  $1,500,  no  Bible  school. 

This  is  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  county.  Among  the 
charter  members  there  were  E.  T.  Venderveer,  John  Barnett, 
Benjamin  Sco't,  Sr.  and  Jr.,  and  Edward  Prather  and  wife. 
J.  S.  Sweeney  held  a  series  of  meetings  here  in  1857,  adding 
one  hundred.  In  1868,  Min.  E.  P.  Bellche  debated  John 
Hughes,  Universalist,  in  this  chapel.  Leroy  Pippin  is  the 
correspondent. 

White  Hall. 

Organized  1883,  by  W.  S.  Jermane  and  J.  J.  W.  Miller; 
present  membership,  230;  value  of  property,  $6,500;  Bible 
school  began  1884;  present  enrollment,  170. 

There  were  twenty-two  charter  members.  A  small  chapel 
was  bought  of  the  Free  Methodists  and  used  till  1903,  when 
the  present  brick  edifice  was  finished.  The  present  elders 
are  Francis  Fowler,  W.  H.  Teter  and  G.  J.  Harris. 


212  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

HAMILTON    COUNTY. 

Broughton. 

Organized  1872,  by  Minister  Truex ;  present  membership, 
43;  value  of  property,  $1,250;  Bible  school  began  1912; 
present  enrollment,  40. 

W.  T.  Owen  and  his  wife  were  baptized  by  Min.  J.  N. 
Mtilkey,  near  Mulkeytown,  in  1868.  The  next  year  they 
moved  to  the  southern  part  of  Hamilton  County.  They  were 
the  first  and  only  Disciples  there.  They  were  solicited  to  take 
membership  in  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  but 
declined.  On  his  earnest  invitation,  Minister  Truex  came 
from  Roland,  held  a  meeting  in  the  schoolhouse  just  south 
of  Broughton,  and  organized  a  church  of  thirteen  members. 
This  continued  till  1880,  when  a  union  church  house  was 
built  in  the  village  which  the  Disciples  used  the  fourth  Sun- 
day in  the  month.  This  continued  till  1898.  For  eighteen 
years,  Mr.  Owen,  though  living  two  miles  in  the  country, 
served  as  janitor,  superintendent  of  the  union  Sunday  school 
and  general  utility  man  for  the  society.  The  old  house  went 
to  wreck.  Mr.  Owen  moved  away.  The  congregation  scat- 
tered. In  1910,  Min.  Marion  Boles  held  a  series  of  meet- 
ings. The  next  year  it  was  decided  to  build  a  church  house 
two  miles  west  of  Broughton,  which  was  finished  in  1912. 
Elijah  Austin  led  in  this  movement.  He  and  G.  B.  Simmons 
are  the  elders. 

Dahlgren. 

Organized  1906,  by  Lew  D.  Hill;  present  membership, 
42:  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1905; 
present  enrollment,  47. 

This  church  grew  out  of  the  Bible  school.  Meetings 
were  held  in  homes  and  the  town  hall  till  the  church  was 
finished  in  1910. 

Dale. 

Present  membership,  35;  value  of  property,  $200;  no 
Bible  school. 


CHURCHES  213 

Liberty    (  Thompsonville ) . 

Organized  1857;  present  membership,  55;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,000;   Bible-school   enrollment,  75. 

The  Lamkin  family  came  to  this  locality  in  1850.  There 
was  preaching  there  through  the  fifties  by  John  A.  and 
Samuel  Williams,  and  a  congregation  *was  formed.  The 
Civil  War  scattered  its  members.  Thereafter  an  organiza- 
tion was  formed  with  the  following  charter  members :  Joshua 
Pemberton,  James  H.  Lamkin  and  John  Odle,  elders ;  R.  C. 
Flannigan,  Jesse  and  W.  C.  Pemberton,  deacons ;  Joel  Jacobs, 
Jas.  W.  Flannigan,  Wm.  and  Elizabeth  Simmons,  Sally 
Lamkin;  Charlotte,  Mary  C.  and  Millie  Pemberton;  Sitzma 
Organ,  Martha  A.  Jacobs,  Charlotte  Odle,  Sallie  Ann  and 
Alice  Smith.  The  chapel  was  built  in  1868.  The  church 
meets  every  week  to  worship.  It  is  six  miles  south  of 
Thompsonville.  W.  C.  Lamkin,  a  son  of  J.  H.  Lamkin, 
furnished  most  of  these   facts. 

McLeansboro. 

Organized  1876,  by  James  T.  Baker;  present  membership, 
194;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1876; 
present  enrollment,  85. 

The  courthouse  was  used  as  the  place  of  public  worship  till 
1880,  when  the  church  was  finished  and  occupied.  The 
church  has  made  progress  steadily  in  every  way. 

Mt.  Pleasant  (McLeansboro). 

Organized  1851,  by  Moses  Goodwin;  present  membership, 
69;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  no  Bible  school. 

This  church  was  organized  in  the  barn  of  David  Upton, 
August  22.  It  met  there  for  worship  until  1855,  when  a  log 
house  was  built  on  land  donated  by  Jefljerson  Garrison.  After 
being  used  twenty  years,  this  house  was  torn  down  and  a 
frame  chapel  was  erected  which  is  still  in  good  condition. 

The  charter  members  were  Alfred  and  Nancy  Drew, 
James  E.  Lee  and  wife,  Jefferson  Garrison  and  wife,  Sarah 


214  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Smithfeeters,  Jane  Reynolds  and  Alice  Vaughn.  The  first 
elders  were  James  E.  Lee  and  Alfred  Drew.  From  a  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  Lee  these  facts  are  learned. 

The  location  is  six  miles  north  of  McLeansboro. 

Those  who  went  forth  from  this  congregation  as  min- 
isters were  Thomas  Mason,  Alfred  Drew,  William  Richards 
and  Steven  Hale. 

Nezu  White  Oak   (Springerton). 

Organized  1885 ;  present  membership,  75 ;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $600;  Bible  school  began  1885:  present  enrollment,  100. 

Mr.  J.  K.  P.  White  gave  one  acre  of  land  for  the  use  of 
the  congregation.    It  is  located  in  Beaver  Creek  Township. 

HANCOCK   COUNTY. 

Adrian. 

Present  membership,  98;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  102. 

Augusta. 

Organized  1850,  by  James  Stark;  present  membership, 
251;  value  of  property,  $10,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  250. 

Mr.  Stark  was  ordained  at  Jacksonville  in  1837  and  moved 
to  Augusta  in  1842.  He  was  willing  at  all  times  to  preach 
the  gospel  as  opportunity  offered.  Meetings  were  held  in 
the  homes  of  Benjamin  Gould  and  Wm.  Dron.  The  first 
chapel  was  built  in  1850.  Elders  Stark,  Dron,  Gould,  Young 
and  others  led  the  Lord's  Day  meetings  till  1868.  Then  E. 
J.  Lampton  conducted  a  series  of  meetings  and  served  as 
pastor  for  six  years.  Since  then  fourteen  other  men  have 
served  the  church  in  this  relation,  and  about  the  same  num- 
ber have  conducted  revivals.  Besides  these,  not  a  few  able 
and  well-known  ministers  have  preached  here. 

From  the  first,  1,025  names  have  been  on  the  roll  of  this 
membership,  and  numbers  of  these  have  been  representative 
citizens. 


CHURCHES  215 

The  church  has  given  to  the  ministry  James   McClure, 
Robert  E.  Henry  and  Mrs.  Mary  Pickens-Buckner. 
D.  P.  Coffman  is  now  one  of  the  beloved  members. 

Bcwen. 

Organized  1890;  present  membership,  250;  vahie  of  prop- 
erty, including  parsonage,  $23,000;  Bible-school  enrollment, 
243. 

The  congregation  met  for  worship  in  the  town  hall  until 
1892,  when  the  present  building  was  erected.  In  1907  a  new 
and  modern  house  was  occupied.  A  parsonage  followed  in 
1912. 

Among  the  leading  members  in  the  earlier  years  there 
were  R.  T.  Lee  and  wife,  Hyram  Schulze  and  wife,  W.  T. 
Hough  and  family  and  Mrs.  Laslie. 

The  congregation  has  many  members  young  in  the  faith 
and  life,  full  of  zeal  and  ambition  for  the  Lord's  work. 

Breckenridge  (Sutter). 

Present  membership,  56;  value  of  property,  $1,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  ^Z. 

Burnside. 

Organized  1875,  by  J.  H.  Garrison ;  present  membership, 
68;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1875; 
present  enrollment,  81. 

The  first  members  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alford  Pettit,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wm.  Bray  (ages  eighty-seven  and  eighty-four — 
1913),  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wm.  Pettit,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hatch,  Mr. 
Joshua   Shreeves    (age   ninety-two),   Mrs.   Sarah   Decker,   D. 

C.  Tyner,  with  the  following  four  who  are  still  living:  Mrs. 

D.  C.  Tyner,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  Glaze  and  Mrs.  O.  C.  Ing. 

Carthage. 

Organized  1864,  by  John  Errett ;  present  membership, 
360;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $16,000;  Bible 
school  began  1864;  present  enrollment,  236. 


216  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Following  a  series  of  meetings,  this  church  was  organized 
with  the  following  fourteen  charter  members:  Allen 
McQuary,  H.  and  Alice  Crawford,  Elizabeth  Scofield,  Mar- 
garet Crawford,  William  and  Elizabeth  Hughes,  James  M. 
and  Mrs.  Mayfield,  William  and  Mrs.  Patterson,  Virginia 
Wilson,  Mary  A.  and  J.  C.  Williams. 

By  the  courtesy  of  the  board  of  supervisors,  the  meetings 
were  first  held  in  the  courthouse.  In  1866  a  small  church 
building  was  erected,  which  gave  place,  in  1884,  to  the  pres- 
ent structure. 

E.  J.  Lampton  was  the  first  pastor.  Judge  C.  J.  Scofield 
served  as  pastor  for  several  years  during  the  weakness  of 
the  church. 

These  data  were  furnished  by  the  patriarch  of  the  con- 
gregation, *'Uncle  Jesse  C.  Wilhams,"  who  is  bright  and  up 
to  date,  although  he  now  (1912)  is  nmety-four  years  of  age. 
The  church  is  active  in  every  department,  contributing  to 
all  missionary  and  benevolent  enterprises. 

Dallas  City. 

Present  membership,  334;  value  of  property,  including 
parsonage,  $11,500;  Bible-school  enrollment,  266. 

Denver. 

Organized  1875,  by  J.  C.  Reynolds ;  present  membership, 
181;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1875; 
present  enrollment,  202. 

Thirty- four  of  the  Mt.  Pleasant  Church  in  this  county, 
with  permission,  constituted  the  church  in  Denver ;  there- 
after they  were  formally  dismissed  by  letters.  The  first 
officers  were:  James  Black,  M.  K.  Kirk  and  Geo.  M.  Brown- 
ing, elders,  with  Joseph  Dorsey  and  J.  S.  McClure,  deacons. 
All  of  them  are  dead. 

While  M.  K.  Kirk  remained  there  he  preached  to  the 
church  every  second  Lord's  Day.  D.  C.  Barber  has  been 
a  faithful  and  useful  member  for  many  years. 


CHURCHES  217 

The  congregation  has  always  been  active  in  all  good 
works.     It  is  well  officered  and  organized. 

East  Durham  (Colusa). 

Present  membership,  40;  value  of  property,  $2,500. 

Ferris. 
Present  membership,  60;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  60. 

Golden  Point   (Hamilton). 

Present  membership,  75;  value  of  property,  $4,500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  91. 

Hamilton. 

Organized  1893,  by  Samuel  McGee;  present  membership, 
225;  value  of  property,  $7,000;  Bible  school  began  1893; 
present  enrollment,   108. 

This  church  was  the  immediate  result  of  a  six  weeks' 
meeting  conducted  by  Minister  McGee.  For  a  year  the 
church  worshiped  in  the  city  hall.  During  the  pastorate  of 
C.  G.  Blakeslee  a  church  building  was  completed  in  1894. 
The  congregation  struggled  on  for  ten  years  with  a  half- 
time  ministry  by  students  from  Canton   (Mo.)   University. 

There  is  being  built  at  Hamilton  one  of  the  largest  water- 
power  dams  in  the  world,  and  the  city  has  promise  of  becom- 
ing a  great  manufacturing  center.  The  church  there  is  alert 
to  its  opening  opportunities. 

La  Crosse. 

Present  membership,  90;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  90. 

La  Harpe. 

Organized  1877,  by  H.  P.  Tandy;  present  membership, 
522;  value  of  property,  $8,000;  Bible  school  began  1877; 
present  enrollment,  225. 

A  congregation  was  formed  here  about  1850,  but  its  life 
was  brief.     In  March,  1877,  Evangelist  G.  W.  Mapes  held  a 


218  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

successful  meeting  and  the  church  was  organized  the  follow-- 
ing  month.  Meetings  were  held  in  a  hall  till  1884,  when  the 
church  was  finished. 

Mt.  Pleasant  (Plymouth). 

Organized  1833,  by  Gilmore  Callison ;  present  member- 
ship, 70;  value  of  property,  $2,200;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 60. 

Mrs.  Hattie  McClure-Smith,  Muskegon,  Mich.,  and  Mrs. 
Georgenia  Daw  Walton,  Plymouth,  HI.,  have  furnished  the 
data  for  this  history.  Mrs.  Walton  has  been  a  member  of 
this  congregation  fifty-four  years  and  is  its  eldest  resident 
member. 

Mt.  Pleasant  Church  is  located  midway  between  Carthage 
and  Plymouth,  ten  miles  from  each,  and  four  and  a  half 
miles  east  of  Bentley.  Into  this  locality,  in  1833,  there  came, 
from  near  Columbia,  Adair  County,  Ky.,  Gilmore  Callison 
and  his  wife  Elizabeth,  her  brother  James  McClure  (who 
had  been  baptized  in  1830  in  Green  River,  Kentucky,  by  the 
pioneer  Christian  preacher,  John  D.  Steele,  and  who  was  the 
father  of  Mrs.  Smith),  Mrs.  Betsy  Massie  (who  was  a  sister 
of  Mr.  Steele),  Green  Browning  and  others.  These  five 
persons  met,  on  the  first  Lord's  Day  after  their  arrival,  at 
the  home  of  Mr.  Callison,  to  "break  bread,"  and  then  formed 
a  church  of  Christ.  This  was  the  first  Christian  Church  in 
Hancock  County  and  became  the  mother  of  congregations. 
Plymouth,  Carthage,  Augusta,  Oak  Grove,  Denver  and 
Bentley  are  her  spiritual  children. 

The  settlers  soon  gave  to  the  place  its  name,  "Mt.  Pleas- 
ant." In  1839,  Josiah  Callison  was  ordained  as  an  elder  and 
William  Smith  as  a  deacon.  The  two  Callisons  served  this 
and  other  communities  as  preachers.  People  came  from  five 
to  twenty-five  miles  to  the  public  worship.  They  came  on 
horseback,  by  wagons  drawn  by  horses  or  oxen,  and  were 
entertained  by  those  living  near  the  grove.  Young  people 
walked  two  to  five  miles  to  church. 

Robert,  John,  James,  George  and  Elizabeth  Stark  united 


CHURCHES  219 

with  the  church  some  years  after  its  formation.  The  Starks, 
Pattens,  Drawns  and  others  were  firm  friends  of  Alexander 
Campbell  in  Scotland.  Margaret  Patten  was  one  of  his 
friends  who  ministered  to  him  in  prison.  He  called  her  and 
her  girl  companion  his  ''ministering  angels."  Robert  Stark, 
when  he  first  came  from  Scotland,  and  probably  James 
Stark  also,  made  their  residence  at  Mr.  Campbell's  home  in 
Virginia.  Elizabeth  Stark  married  Simeon  B.  Walton  and 
settled  near  the  church.  He  united  with  the  congregation 
in  1843.  James  and  Mary  A.  Black  came  from  Elkton,  Ky., 
in  1852.  He  was  ordained  an  elder,  and  when  there  was  no 
regular  minister  preached  for  the  congregation  till  1875. 
William  and  Lucy  Lyon  Bridgewater  united  with  the  church 
in  1852. 

Mrs.  Alzada  Groves,  an  octogenarian,  says  that  when 
she  first  knew  Mt.  Pleasant  the  women  wore  homespun,  as 
did  the  men  also — all  made  by  the  home  folk.  The  women 
were  proud  of  a  calico  dress  and  sunbonnet.  The  men  wore 
skin  caps  and  straw  hats  that  were  braided  and  sewed  by 
the  women.  After  her  marriage  she  often  walked  two  miles 
to  church  and  carried  her  baby.  At  church  they  had  ''mighty 
good  times." 

Mrs.  Sarah  Huey  Daw,  another  octogenarian,  says:  "I 
tell  you  we  had  good  meetings."  After  the  teaching  elders 
moved  to  the  young  towns,  some  of  them  would  return  to 
preach  on  Sundays.  "I  made  a  good  long  piece  of  jeans  and 
gave  old  brother  Grandpa  Black  a  suit  of  clothes  he  was 
pretty  proud  of." 

In  August,  1858,  or  1859,  a  district  meeting  was  held  at 
Mt.  Pleasant  which  lasted  two  weeks.  Many  preachers  were 
present,  among  them  Thomas  Munnell  and  one  of  the 
Erretts.     People  came  from  afar. 

In  the  early  days  it  was  common  to  hear  wolves  howl  at 
night ;  but  their  proximity  and  blood-curdling  howls  did  not 
keep  any  one  away  from  church.  A  mother  and  her  son 
were  driving  through  the  timber  one  night,  when  a  wolf  fol- 
lowed them.    The  boy  drove  the  horses  while  the  mother  s^at 


220  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

at  the  end  of  the  wagon  and  kept  it  off  with  a  pitchfork. 

At  one  time  Robert  Foster  settled  in  the  community  and 
preached  for  the  congregations.  The  members  built  a  house 
for  him  on  a  farm  about  three  miles  from  the  chapel.  Before 
that  time,  Mr.  McClure  met  a  man  on  the  road  near  Tucker- 
town  who  asked  him  where  he  lived.  Upon  his  reply  the 
man  said:  **Why,  that  is  over  in  the  Campbellite  settlement. 
Are  they  not  dangerous?  and  do  they  not  have  humps  on 
their  backs,  and  horns?"  Mr.  McClure  answered:  "I  am 
one  of  them.  They  are  not  dangerous,  and  they  look  like 
most  people,  I  guess.     Come  over  to  our  meetings." 

In  1875  the  Mt.  Pleasant  Church  built  a  mission  chapel 
in  Denver,  Hancock  County,  and  began  to  establish  a  Chris- 
tian congregation  there. 

As  the  years  passed,  many  of  the  members  moved  to  the 
towns  that  had  grown  with  the  coming  of  the  railways,  and 
the  frame  chapel  that  had  been  built  in  the  forties  was 
becoming  old.  Some  then  proposed  to  disband  the  congre- 
gation. Then  a  sister  urged  in  a  public  meeting  that  all 
could  not  go  to  the  towns  to  church,  and  the  children  of 
the  neighborhood  were  to  be  cared  for.  Thus  it  was  decided 
to  go  on  with  the  work.  A  new  chapel  was  built.  A  tent 
was  secured,  and  a  series  of  meetings  held  in  a  near-by 
neighborhood  which  re-enforced  the  congregation.  This 
meeting  was  in  1909.     The  house  was  remodeled  in  1897. 

Long  time  ago  ground  was  given  by  Simeon  B.  and 
Elizabeth  Stark  Walton  for  the  church  house  and  "grave- 
yard." 

J.  B.  Royal  preached  for  the  church  when  he  was  a 
young  man,  E.  J.  Lampton,  J.  C.  Reynolds  and  many  other 
faithful  ministers. 

This  has  been  an  apostolic  church  and  has  done  a 
world  of  good.  It  has  had  a  host  of  faithful  and  truly 
great  men  and  women.  In  the  winter  of  1912-13  a  father 
and  his  daughter  walked  four  miles  by  reason  of  the  snow 
blockading  the  roads,  rather  than  miss  public  worship. 

This    church   gave    Henry    Black,   J.    O.    Walton,    Mrs. 


CHURCHES  221 

Sadie  McCoy  Crank  and  Miss  Ava  S.  Walton  to  the  min- 
istry. 

Bentley  is  a  mission  of  the  Mt.  Pleasant  Church.  It  was 
formed  in  the  end  of  the  year  1890,  and  the  chapel  built 
later. 

Oak  Grove  (Carthage). 

Present  membership,  70;  value  of  property,  $1,000. 

This  is  about  ten  miles  east  of  Carthage  and  was  the 
home  church  of  Dr.  Wm.  Booz.  For  many  years  he  made 
it  a  practice  to  preach  a  sermon  here  on  New  Year's  Day. 

Plyfnoiith. 

Organized  1855,  by  J.  R.  Ross ;  present  membership,  7Z ; 
value  of  property,   $9,000;   present   enrollment,   62. 

The  series  of  meetings  out  of  which  this  congregation 
grew  were  held  in  the  M.  E.  Church.  The  charter  members 
were  David  and  Susan  Palmer,  John  and  Zerilda  Ritchey, 
Jonas  and  Margaret  Myers,  J.  W.  Bell,  A.  B.  Moore,  John 
and  Rebecca  Madison,  John  Hendrickson,  David  and  Nancy 
Wade,  Edward  Wade,  Ann  Hooton,  Wm.  H.  Hooton, 
Isapena  Buyher,  Thomas  and  Malinda  Burdett,  John  and 
Elizabeth  Ades,  Phebe  Ades,  John  Stark,  Uphema  Myers, 
Nancy  Browning,  Sarah  Moore,  Francis  and  Mary  Ritchey. 

Some  of  the  ministers  who  succeeded  Mr.  Ross  were  H. 
Young,  E.  Browning,  E.  J.  Lampton,  George  Brewster, 
James  Stark  and  J.  Carroll  Stark. 

Stillwell. 

Present  membership,  110;  value  of  property,  $3,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  97. 

West  Point. 

Organized  1864,  by  David  Hobbs ;  present  membership, 
160;  value  of  property,  $6,000;  Bible  school  enrollment,  145. 

Minister  Hobbs  conducted  two  meetings  here,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  second  formed  the  church.     Among  the  charter 


222  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

members  there  were  Henry  Hindle  and  wife,  Elijah  Rhodes 
and  wife,  David  and  Almira  Wiggle,  Mrs.  Joseph  McMillan, 
Mrs.  Samuel  Barber,  Mrs.  John  S.  Kelly  and  Miss  Mary 
Louis. 

The  meetings  for  public  worship  were  held  in  the  little 
schoolhouse,  then  in  the  new  schoolroom,  then  in  a  hall, 
next  in  the  Lutheran  chapel,  and  in  1876  in  their  own 
building. 

The  young  church  was  fostered  by  Mins.  John  Stark 
and  Joseph  Tanner. 

Wythe  (Sutter). 

Organized  1865,  by  E.  J.  Lampton;  present  membership, 
39;  value  of  property,  $1,500. 

Germans  have  bought  the  farms,  and  the  life  of  the 
church  is  feeble.  H.  O.  Knox  and  J.  C.  McMahan  are  the 
only  charter  members  left. 

HARDIN    COUNTY. 

Cave  in  Rock. 

Present  membership,  66;  value  of  property,  $1,000. 

Rosiclare. 

Present  membership,  146;  value  of  property,  $1,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,   115. 

Stone  Church  (Elizabethtown). 

Present  membership,  132;  value  of  property,  $1,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  65. 

HENDERSON   COUNTY. 

Lorn  ax. 

Present  membership,  150;  value  of  property,  $6,000; 
Bible-school   enrollment,   81. 

The  church  maintains  preaching  and  serves  the  com- 
munity well. 


CHURCHES  223 

Raritan. 

Present    membership,    20 ;    value    of    property,    $3,000. 
Inactive. 

Stronghurst. 

Present    membership,    71;    value    of    property,    $2,500; 
Eible-school  enrollment,   140. 
A  varied  history. 

HENRY    COUNTY. 

During  the  sixties  and  part  of  the  seventies  there  was  a 
congregation  of  Christians  in  Kewanee.  It  failed  by  deaths 
and  removals.  After  twenty-five  years  the  work  there  was 
revived. 

A  part  of  the  members  of  the  first  congregation  in 
Kewanee,  when  it  suspended,  formed  a  church  northwest  of 
the  city,  in  Burns  Township.  Its  meetings  were  held  in  a 
schoolhouse  during  a  part  of  the  seventies  and  eighties. 
Then  removals  ended  its  meetings. 

For  a  few  years  there  was  a  church  at  Cambridge.  Then 
it  was  thought  advisable  to  go  into  a  sort  of  federation. 
The  result  was  that  the  M.  E.  people  got  the  property  and 
the  Baptists  most  of  the  members.  At  one  time  there  was 
in  this  chapel  the  *'altar"  of  the  Methodists  and  the  bap- 
tistery of  the  Disciples. 

There  was  a  small  congregation  of  Christians  only  at  one 
time  in  Galva. 

At  Woodhull  there  was  formerly  an  active  church  of 
Christ  which  gave  Oliver  W.  Stewart  to  the  Christian  min- 
istry. While  not  extinct,  it  has  shown  no  desire  to  be 
revived  in  late  years. 

Kewanee. 

Organized  1901,  by  A.  C.  Roach;  present  m.embership, 
366;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1901: 
present  enrollment,  225. 

The  charter  members  were  A.  C.  Roach,  S.  J.   Batchel, 


224  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Geo.  W.  Bean  and  wife,  Mrs,  Ida  Deckerhoff,  Mrs.  Shorba 
A.  Ewing,  Thomas  Grubbs,  Mrs.  M.  J.  Mooney,  Eugene 
Rowe,  Mrs.  Martha  Rodgers,  D.  S.  and  Mrs.  F.  A.  Trout, 
C.  G.  and  Mrs.  C.  G.  Whittaker.  Of  these,  four  have  died. 
This  membership  is  made  up  almost  entirely  of  working 
people  who  were  deeply  depressed  by  the  panic  of  1907. 

Meetings  were  held  in  a  hall  till  1903,  when  the  old  Pres- 
byterian chapel  was  bought,  moved  to  its  present  location 
on  East  First  Street  between  Elm  and  Walnut,  and  repaired. 

Lewis  Hurt  is  preparing  for  the  mission  field  in  Africa 
and  Leslie  Crown  has  been  given  to  the  ministry.  Charles 
Williams  is  pastor. 

This  church  was  organized  and  fostered  to  self-support 
by  the  State  Mission  Board. 

IROQUOIS    COUNTY. 

Cissna  Park. 

Organized  1906;  present  membership,  57;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1906;  present  enrollment, 
143. 

This  is  a  union  church.     The  agreement  was  as  follows: 

The  undersigned  charter  members,  while  retaining  their  several 
denominational  names,  faith  and  membership,  enter  into  a  common 
fellowship  known  as  the  Union  Church,  and  pledge  themselves  to  sup- 
port this  organization  in  every  way  consistent  with  their  several  views 
of  Christian  conduct  and  duty. 

Those  signing  this  compact  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  C. 
Sailor,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  J.  Kahney,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  F. 
Zehr,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  C.  Ainsler,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  Stanbus, 
Mrs.  E.  G.  Dryden,  Mrs.  Ida  Stachell,  Mrs.  J.  Herman,  Mrs. 
W.  Landes,  Mrs.  L.  Lesch,  Miss  Lattie  Lesch,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Joseph  Burt,  Miss  Flora  Burt,  Miss  Lillie  Thornton,  Miss 
Martha  Dryden,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Lucas,  Miss  Katie 
Miller,  Miss  Lillie  Herman,  John  Dryden,  Miss  R.  Lena 
Herman,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  L.  Lawson,  Miss  Nina  Grain, 
Mrs.  Carrie  Penner  and  Wm.  W.  Dryden. 


CHUx^CilES  225 

Darrow. 

Organized  1911,  by  Leslie  Crown;  present  membership, 
62  \  value  of  property,  $4,500;  Bible  school  began  1910; 
present  enrollment,  74. 

Darrow  is  a  village  on  a  new  railroad.  In  1909,  Leslie 
Crown,  a  student  of  Eureka  College,  began  to  preach  in  a 
schoolhouse  near  there.  The  church  building,  modern  and 
up  to  date,  was  completed  in  1912.  Nearly  every  member 
of  this  church  is  a  renter.  The  land-owners,  with  few 
exceptions,  gave  but  little  help.  Mr.  Crown  led  in  this  work 
throughout.  He  and  the  resident  Disciples  deserve  much 
praise,  as  do  also  members  of  other  religious  bodies  who 
have  co-operated  in  the  enterprise. 

Donovan. 

Organized  1856,  by  Silas  Johnson  and  Nathan  Cough- 
enberry ;  present  membership,  140;  value  of  property,  includ- 
ing parsonage,  $9,000;   Bible-school  enrollment,   75. 

This  organization  was  made  in  the  Green  Schoolhouse 
west  of  the  Donovan  site.  There  were  thirty  charter  mem- 
bers. For  many  years  the  members  worshiped  in  the  Bean 
or  Gay  Schoolhouses.  In  1876,  during  the  ministry  of  C.  W. 
Poole,  who,  like  his  Master,  was  both  carpenter  and  preacher, 
a  house  of  worship  was  built.  This  building  was  enlarged 
and  modernized  in  1908  during  the  ministry  of  J.  Newton 
Cloe. 

Fairviezv  ( Wellington  ) . 

Organized  1892,  by  Will  F.  Shaw;  present  membership, 
42;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1892; 
present  enrollment,  66. 

This  country  church  is  about  five  miles  east  of  Welling- 
ton.    There  were  twenty-one  charter  members. 

The  ladies'  aid  society  is  an  active  and  very  helpful  force 
in  the  congregation.  This  is  one  of  many  instances  where 
the  faith  of  women  is  greater  than  that  of  men. 

8 


226  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

Iroquois. 

Organized  by  J.  F.  Ghormley ;  present  membership,  10 ; 
value  of  property,  $3,500;  Bible-school  enrollment,  24. 

Mar  Hilton. 

Organized  1893,  by  A.  R.  Crank;  present  membership, 
92;  value  of  property  $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1893; 
present  enrollment,  63. 

Mr.  Crank  was  serving  the  congregations  at  Donovan  and 
Iroquois  regularly  when  he  conducted  a  series  of  meetings 
and  organized  the  Martinton  Church.  The  schoolhouse  was 
first  used.  When  the  crowds  overflowed  this,  a  large  tent 
was  pitched.  There  were  about  eighty  charter  members. 
Of  these,  only  the  following  names  are  learned:  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Henry  Barnball,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  Hickman,  Mrs. 
Alma  McSaly,  Miss  Allen  Wingard  and  Mary  A.  Hath- 
away. 

Mil  ford. 

Organized  1877,  by  C.  B.  Austin ;  present  membership, 
160;  value  of  property,  $12,500;  Bible  school  began  1877; 
present  enrollment,  130. 

Mr.  Austin  began  his  work  here  in  the  old  Methodist 
chapel.  As  soon  as  results  were  reached,  the  doors  were 
locked  against  him.  In  an  old  storeroom  the  church  was 
organized.  Among  the  charter  members  were  James  McCon- 
nell,  Matilda  Endsley,  Abijah  Perkins  and  wife,  Emma 
Harmon,  Mary  Jones  and  Mrs.  Finley  Hopkins,  four  of 
whom  are  still  living.  The  first  chapel  was  built  in  1879 
and  the  present  edifice  in  1910,  during  the  pastorate  of  H. 
R.  Lookabill.  James  Holton  and  T.  L.  Stipp  gave  good 
service  here  and  J.  M.  McDermont  was  the  first  pastor. 

Onarga. 

Organized  1877,  by  R.  D.  Cotton;  present  memoership, 
75;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $8,000;  Bible 
school  began  1877,  present  enrollment,  77. 


CHURCHES  Zil 

The  controlling  religious  force  in  this  community  through 
the  seventies  was  the  M.  E.  Church.  To  two  brothers,  James 
and  John  W.  Cunningham,  belongs  the  honor  of  establishing 
a  congregation  there  that  should  be  simply  Christian.  They 
were  Irishmen  who  had  been  led  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  by  the  preaching  of  William  Poynter. 
They  both  resided  on  their  own  farms  five  miles  east  of 
Onarga.  But  not  distance,  not  hard  manual  labor,  not 
muddy  roads  nor  dark  nights  could  dampen  their  ardor  nor 
check  their  Christian  courage.  Their  zeal  for  Jesus  and  his 
truth  burned  year  after  year  with  a  quenchless  devotion. 
They  were  plain  farmers. 

The  charter  members  were  James,  John  W.  and  Rachel 
F2.  Cunningham,  John  and  Jane  Mason,  Frank  and  Martha 
Dunkins,  Lucie  M.  Parker,  Hannah  Smith,  Robert  and 
Margaret  D.  Teeter,  and  Thomas  B.  and  Ellen  Weakley. 

About  fifteen  pastors  have  served  the  church  well. 

Pitfzvood. 

Organized  1894,  by  W.  W.  Sniff;  present  membership, 
80;  value  of  property,  $1,600;  Bible  school  began  1894; 
present  enrollment,  85. 

There  is  a  good  C.  E.  society.  About  ten  ministers  have 
served  the  church. 

Prairie  Green    (Wellington). 

Organized  1872,  by  Jacob  B.  Blount;  present  membership, 
60;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began,  1872; 
present  enrollment,  42. 

This  church  is  located  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
county.  It  was  organized  in  a  little  schoolhouse  just  across 
the  State  line  in  Indiana,  but  was  soon  afterward  moved  to 
the  little  old  Round  Top  Schoolhouse  in  Prairie  Green  Town- 
ship. Here  the  meetings  were  held  till  1875,  when  the 
present  chapel  was  built.     A  reorganization  was  then  made. 

Of  the  charter  members  the  following  are  still  living: 
J.  J.  Cowan,  who  was  one  of  the  first  elders;  Mrs.  Elizabeth 


22^  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Totheroh,  Mrs.  Nancy  Parker,  Mrs.  Clara  Allen,  Thomas 
Guest  and  John  F.  Cowan,  who  helped  build  the  church 
house.  His  address  is  Ambia,  Ind.  There  is  a  good  C.  E. 
society. 

Sheldon. 

Organized  1890,  by  W.  H.  Hayden ;  present  membership, 
150;  value  of  property,  $6,000;  Bible  school  began  1890; 
present  enrollment,  110. 

This  church  grew  out  of  a  series  of  meetings  conducted 
in  a  public  hall  by  Minister  Hayden,  who  was  supported  by 
the  State  Missionary  Society.  There  were  sixty-five  charter 
members. 

The  church  was  erected  in  1891. 

Wafseka. 

Organized  1881,  by  C.  E.  Elmore;  present  membership, 
350;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $25,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  250. 

Minister  Elmore  held  a  meeting  in  the  spring  under  the 
auspices  of  a  county  co-operation.  There  were  eighteen 
charter  members,  among  whom  were  Capt.  John  Franklin, 
E.  F.  Harris,  Prof.  L.  F.  Watson  and  Cyrus  Leatherman. 

The  meetings  were  held  in  a  hall  for  a  year,  when  the 
old  Baptist  chapel  was  bought  and  remodeled.  The  next 
winter  Evangelist  W.  F.  Black  conducted  a  successful  meet- 
ing, in  which  many  of  the  most  substantial  people  of  the 
community  were  brought  into  the  church. 

The  church  has  given  its  intelligent  and  loyal  support  to 
its  twelve  good  pastors.  The  present  edifice  was  erected  and 
the  parsonage  secured  during  the  seven  years'  pastorate  of 
B.  F.  Ferrell. 

The  church  has  been  actively  missionary  from  the  begin- 
ning, and  planted  congregations  at  Woodland,  Sheldon  and 
Pittwood.  For  twenty-five  years  Mr.  L.  F.  Watson  was  a 
very  forceful  and  helpful  member  here  in  many  ways.  He 
was  eight  years  clerk  of  the  State  Senate. 


CHURCHES  229 

Mr.  S.  F.  Swinford  also  did  fine  work  here.  Norman  H. 
Robertson  is  the  pastor. 

Woodland. 

Organized  1887;  present  membership,  34;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  58. 

The  chapel  was  built  in  1891.  Ten  ministers  have  served 
the  church.     Mrs.  Sadie  Cross  is  the  correspondent. 

A  church  was  formed  at  Buckley  in  1892  of  twenty 
earnest  Christian  men  and  women,  and  did  good  work  for 
seventeen  years.  Lutherans  gradually  bought  all  the  farms 
in  the  community  that  were  offered  for  sale,  and  thus  the 
congregation  disappeared.  The  property  was  sold  by  Min. 
Osceola  McNemar  at  public  auction  for  $1,200,  and  the  pro- 
ceeds turned  to  the  custody  of  the  State  Missionary  Society. 

The  Prairie  Dell  congregation,  in  the  vicinity  of  Watseka, 
has  ceased  to  meet. 

JACKSON    COUNTY. 

Carbondale. 

Organized  1862,  by  Dr.  Isaac  Mulkey ;  present  member- 
ship, 450;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $25,000; 
Bible  school  began  1862 ;  present  enrollment,  320. 

Dr.  Mulkey  organized  this  church  in  the  old  Presbyterian 
chapel  w^ith  the  following  charter  members :  Himself,  wife 
and  daughter;  George  Yost,  wife  and  daughter;  Daniel  Gil- 
bert and  wife ;  Stephen  Blair,  wife  and  daughter.  Messrs. 
Mulkey  and  Blair  were  the  first  elders,  and  Messrs.  Yost 
and  Gilbert  the  first  deacons.  Dr.  Mulkey  continued  to 
preach  to  the  congregation,  though  irregularly,  till  1868. 
The  meetings  were  held  in  an  unsightly  old  grain-house  that 
stood  opposite  the  Illinois  Central  Railway  station. 

Clark  Braden  organized  Southern  Illinois  College  in  1866, 
and  the  prosperity  of  the  school  contributed  to  the  growth  of 
the  church  and,  indeed,  to  many  congregations  in  that  part 
of  the  State.  He  also  preached  frequently  for  the  church 
here. 


230  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

The  basement  of  the  brick  chapel  was  first  occupied  in 
1870.  In  this  a  great  revival  was  conducted  by  Evangelist 
John  Friend.  In  1874  this  building  was  finished  and  dedi- 
cated free  from  debt.  It  cost  $6,000,  and  was  the  best 
in  the  city.  The  property  was  sold  in  1901  for  a  town  hall, 
and  the  present  fine  structure  finished  in  1902. 

Elkville. 

Organized  1887,  by  W.  H.  Boles;  present  membership, 
145;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $2,100;  Bible 
school  began  1887;  present  enrollment,   154. 

This  church  was  the  result  of  a  tent  meeting.  The  chapel 
was  finished  in  1889.  The  congregation  is  well  organized 
and  active.  In  the  absence  of  a  preacher  the  worship  is  con- 
ducted by  an  officer  according  to  the  Scriptures.  J.  J. 
I'hompson  is  correspondent. 

Murphyshoro. 

Organized  1899,  by  W.  A.  Ingram ;  present  membership, 
225;  value  of  property,  $10,000;  Bible  school  began  1899; 
present  enrollment,  130. 

In  the  courthouse  Evangelist  Ingram  held  the  meeting 
under  the  direction  of  the  State  Board  that  led  to  the  forma- 
tion of  this  church.  The  chapel  was  built  in  1900.  The 
congregation  is  well  organized  and  active. 

Oak   Grove    (Carbondale). 

Present  membership,  25;  value  of  property,  $500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  30. 

Three  and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  Carbondale.  School 
kept  up  with  occasional  preaching. 

Pleasant  Hill    (Ava). 

Organized  1878,  by  David  Husband ;  present  member- 
ship, 100;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 42. 


CHURCHES  231 

This  is  ten  miles  northwest  of  Murphy sboro.  About 
fifty  years  ago  a  Baptist  church  was  formed  in  that  section. 
In  their  chapel  Mr.  Husband  held  a  meeting  and  formed  the 
remnant  of  Baptists  and  others  into  a  church  of  Christ. 
Among  the  charter  members  were  the  Graffs,  Thompsons, 
Redmons  and  Lavans.  The  present  chapel  was  built  in  1895. 
D.  A.  Thompson  is  correspondent. 

Six  Mile   (Elkville). 

Organized  1848:  present  membership,  88;  value  of  prop- 
erty,  $800;   Bible-school   enrollment,    107. 

Dr.  C.  F.  Mulkey  settled  in  Six  Mile  Prairie  in  1842. 
His  influence  doubtless  led  to  the  formation  of  the  church 
there.     Mrs.  Rosa  Kirkpatrick  is  correspondent. 

JASPER    COUNTY. 

Bogota. 

Organized  1851,  by  Wm.  Read  and  Wm.  Ingraham ;  pres- 
ent membership,  150;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible-school 
enrollment.  39. 

Wm.  Read  and  Wm.  Ingraham  began  to  preach  in  this 
neighborhood  about  1848.  In  summer,  meetings  were^  held 
in  groves;  in  winter,  in  schoolhouses.  This  church  is  an 
outgrowth  of  the  Ingraham  congregation.  In  its  earlier  years 
it  was  known  as  the  Wolf  Creek  and  Honey  Church.  The 
charter  members  were  James  Bogard  and  wife,  Dixon  W^oods 
and  wife,  Stephen  Hams  and  wife,  J.  W.  Honey,  Sr.,  and 
wife,  David  White  and  wife,  Andrew  Fisher  and  w^ife, 
Patrick  Woods  and  wife,  and  Garrison  Grove  and  wife.  Of 
these,  Mary  Woods  is  the  only  one  now  living. 

The  meeting-house  was  built  in  1867,  repaired  in  1890 
and  modernized  in  1912. 

Regularly  and  transiently  fifty-six  preachers  have  served 
the  congregation. 

It  has  given  to  the  ministry  Geo.  W.  Tate,  J.  W.  Honey 
and  Benjamin  W.  Tate. 


232  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Christian  Chapel  (Wiiiterrowd). 

Organized  1888,  by  F.  M.  Lollar;  present  membership, 
162;  value  of  property,  $1,600;  Bible  school  began  1901; 
present  enrollment,  42. 

This  congregation  is  located  in  the  southwest  part  of  the 
county.  There  were  twenty-one  charter  members,  most  of 
whom  were  from  the  church  at  Ingraham.  Eleven  of  these 
are  living.  The  first  officers  were  John  Chestnut  and  Thomas 
Blink,  elders,  with  David  Morgan  and  David  Sparling,  dea- 
cons. 

The  congregation  met  for  worship  in  a  union  house  until 
1901,  when  the  present  chapel  was  occupied.  The  name  was 
then  changed  from  "Church  of  Christ  at  Union  Chapel"  to 
"Christian  Church,  Headyville,  111."  Jas.  B.  Galloway  is 
clerk. 

Latona. 

Organized  1855,  by  Wm.  Coble;  present  membership,  150; 
value  of  property,  $500;  Bible  school  began  1875;  present 
enrollment,  70. 

The  congregation  was  the  result  of  a  meeting  held  by 
Minister  Coble  in  the  Mitchell  Schoolhouse.  The  elders  were 
Joshua  Dobbins  and  Thomas  Foster.  Meetings  for  worship 
w^ere  continued  in  this  schoolhouse  for  years,  with  Benjamin 
Duvee,  Francis  Marion,  Jacob  Sutherland,  Joseph  Powell  and 
others  as  preachers. 

Min.  Thomas  Wall  held  a  meeting  in  1871  in  the  Matlock 
Schoolhouse  and  reorganized  the  church.  Then  it  was  called 
Latona  Church. 

The  church  in  1910  gave  Miss  Myra  Harris  McLeoud  to 
the  foreign  mission  field,  who  is  at  Mahoba,  India. 

Lis. 

Organized  1905,  by  C.  W.  Freeman;  present  membership, 
30;  value  of  property,  $6C0;  Bible  school  began  1905;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  48, 


CHURCHES  233 

James  Frakes  secured  the  services  of  ministers  at  various 
times,  who  held  meetings  in  schoolhouses  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. The  bitter  feeUng  and  opposition  of  ''reUgious  neigh- 
bors" hindered  the  formation  of  a  church  that  would  be 
Christian  only.  There  were  nine  charter  members.  Min. 
G.  W.  Morrel  served  the  congregation  one  year.  Benjamin 
W.  Tate  worked  there  three  years,  during  which  period  the 
numbers  were  increased  and  the  chapel  built.  Frank 
Daugherty  is  Bible-school  superintendent. 

Nezvion. 

Organized  1881,  by  N.  S.  Haynes ;  present  membership, 
140;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $4,700;  Bible 
school  began  1888;  present  enrollment,  117. 

About  1858,  A.  D.  Fillmore  and  S.  W.  Leonard  formed 
a  congregation,  but,  having  no  shepherd,  the  little  flock  soon 
scattered.  In  1864,  A.  D.  Taylor  organized  a  congregation, 
but  he  proved  to  be  unworthy  and  the  church  disbanded. 
Since  1881  the  church  has  maintained  its  life  and  work. 
Meetings  for  worship  were  held  in  the  homes  of  the  mem- 
bers and  in  a  hall  till  the  church  building  was  erected  in 
1891.  The  impulse  to  this  building  was  a  result  of  a  meet- 
ing conducted  by  Evangelist  W.  A.  Ingram. 

A  series  of  meetings  was  held  at  the  time  of  the  organiza- 
tion in  the  chapel  of  the  Presbyterians.  Their  minister  was 
a  non-resident  who  came  to  their  church  statedly.  He  and 
Mr.  Haynes  exchanged  courtesies  in  beginning  the  worship 
on  Saturday  evening  and  Sunday  morning,  his  regular  date. 
Immediately  at  the  close  of  the  prayer,  in  which  Mr.  Haynes 
besought  the  divine  blessing  on  all  the  services  of  the  hour, 
the  Presbyterian  minister  stepped  to  the  front  of  the  plat- 
form and  nodded.  A  fine-looking  young  couple  came  to  the 
front  bearing  on  their  arms  a  very  energetic  baby  boy,  which 
the  preacher  proceeded  at  once  to  "baptize,"  although  he 
protested  by  cries  and  kicks. 

Hon.  Hale  Johnson  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Honey  were  valuable 
servants  of  the  church  in  its  earlier  years.     Among  its  pas- 


234  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

tors,   G.   W.   Lollar   and   L   G.    Tomlinson   are   well   remem- 
bered. 

The  church  has  ordained  to  the  ministry  C.  L.  Doty  and 
H.  G.  Kellogg.  W.  A.  Roberts  was  received  from  the  Chris- 
tian Denomination,  and  a  Baptist  minister  also  was  received. 
All  these  additions  to  the  ministry  were  made  during  the 
pastorate  of  Benj.  W.  Tate. 

Wheeler. 

Organized  1883,  by  J.  G.  T.  Brandenburg;  present  mem- 
bership, 65;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began 
1883 ;   present  enrollment,   60. 

There  were  thirty-one  charter  members. 

Extinct  Congregations. 

Liberty  Church  was  formed  in  the  forties.  It  is  located 
a  few  miles  northwest  of  Hidalgo.  The  chapel  built  in 
1858  burned  down,  and  the  second  was  built  in  1868.  The 
preachers  who  served  there  before  the  Civil  War  were  Daniel 
Connor,  Benj.  Duvee,  James  Duncan  and  H.  J.  Sutherland. 
It  did  not  move  to  town  after  the  railroad  was  built,  and 
has  gone  down. 

St.  Marie  Church,  ten  miles  southeast  of  Newton,  was 
formed  in  1903  by  R.  Leland  Brown.  He  led  the  Baptist 
congregation  there  to  apostolic  ground,  but  the  debt  on  the 
property  was  not  paid,  and  after  four  years  all  was  lost. 

The  Hunt  Church,  located  one-half  mile  south  of  Fal- 
mouth, served  the  community  well  for  many  years,  but  has 
disappeared. 

JEFFERSON    COUNTY. 

These  facts  are  furnished,  after  a  year's  effort,  by  Mrs. 
Martha  E.  Plummer,  of  Mt.  Vernon.  Meanwhile,  she  was 
separated  by  death  from  her  husband,  Dr.  Hiram  S.  Plum- 
mer, with  whom  she  had  traveled  three  and  fifty  years.  She 
is  the  daughter  of  Harvey  T.  Pace. 


CHURCHES  235 

Boyd. 

Present  membership,  70;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  60. 

Ehenczer  (Mt.  Vernon). 

Organized  1899,  by  Marion  Boles ;  present  membership, 
22;  value  of  property,  $900;  Bible-school  enrollment,  64. 

The  charter  members  were  Elder  J.  Newton  Brown  and 
wife,  Daniel  Lewis  and  wife,  W.  C.  Baker  and  wife,  Grandma 
Cron,  Sophia  and  George  Correll  and  sister.  This  little 
country  church  has  Christian  grace  and  grit.  They  keep 
their  chapel  in  a  fine  condition  and  pay  their  preachers 
promptly.     It  is  six  miles  north. 

Elk  Prairie  (Ina). 

Organized  1852,  by  J.  C.  McBrian ;  present  membership, 
150;  value  of  property,  $1,000;   Bible-school  enrollment,  40. 

The  congregation  was  prosperous  until  the  Civil  War, 
when  it  was  destroyed  by  internal  conflicts.  In  the  seventies 
it  was  reorganized  by  Ministers  Heape  and  Mulkey.  Jas. 
B.  Bean  is  Sunday-school  superintendent.  It  is  four  miles 
west. 

Fonts  (Cravat). 

Value  of  property,  $1,000. 
Two  miles  northwest. 

Hickory  Hill  (Mt.  Vernon). 

Organized  1880,  by  Wm.  Henderson ;  present  member- 
ship, 50;  union  Bible-school  enrollment,   50. 

This  was  first  known  as  the  Wolf  Prairie  Church.  The 
charter  members  were  Solomon  Ford  and  wife,  Peter  Ollo- 
mon  and  wife,  John  Hodge  and  wife,  Jas.  C.  Parsley  and 
wife,  George  Bodine  and  wife,  Edward  Carter,  Emaline 
Bradley  and  daughter.  Belle  C.  Gray,  and  William  Theims 
and  wife. 


236  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

It  has  had  eighty  members  and  has  given  to  the  ministry 
Elijah  Colhns,  Edward  Carter  and  George  Bodine.  Mr. 
Collins  is  now  serving  the  church.     It  is  seven  miles  south. 

Ina. 

Organized  1911,  by  G.  W.  Foley;  present  membership, 
25;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1911 ;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  35. 

The  chapel  was  built  in  1910.  There  were  thirteen  char- 
ter members.     Mrs.  Nellie  F.  Hodge  is  clerk. 

Little  Grove   (Walnut  Hill). 

Organized  1841 ;  present  membership,  100;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $2,000;   Bible-school  enrollment,   50. 

This  is  a  country  church  in  the  north  edge  of  the  county, 
but  most  of  its  members  reside  in  IMarion  County.  It  has 
constantly  and  consistently  maintained  the  cause  of  the 
Master  through  seventy-one  years.    James  Kell  is  clerk. 

Mt.  Catherine  (Woodlawn). 

Present  membership,  95 ;  value  of  property,  $500 ;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,   54. 

Tw^o  miles  northwest.  Mrs.  Frank  Gaskin  is  corre- 
spondent. 

Mt.  Vernon. 

Organized  1853;  present  membership,  300;  value  of  prop- 
erty,  $3,000;    Bible-school   enrollment,   210. 

At  the  first  formation  of  this  church  of  twenty-one  mem- 
bers, Mins.  J.  C.  Ashley,  John  E.  McBrain,  Horace  Watrons 
and  John  A.  Williams  were  present.  Harvey  T.  Pace  and 
wife  were  the  leaders  in  this  work.  In  1854  he  bought  the 
old  M.  E.  chapel,  remodeled  and  refurnished  it,  and  gave  its 
use  to  the  congregation.  The  church  grew.  After  the 
death  of  Mr.  Pace,  this  property  was  lost  to  the  congrega- 
tion. Others  died  and  moved  away,  so  that  there  was  no 
organization  from  1874  to  1886.    Then  J.  W.  Robbins,  under 


CHURCHES  237 

the  auspices  of  the  State  Board,  reorganized  with  fourteen 
members,  which  was  increased  to  thirty-seven  by  the  close 
of  the  meeting.  Meetings  were  held  regularly  in  courthouse 
and  halls  till  1889,  when  a  chapel  was  occupied.  A  needed 
addition  was  made  in  later  years.  The  church  has  passed 
through  many  trying  experiences,  but  has  always  had  the 
faithful  few. 

It  has  given  to  the  ministry  Earl  Israel  and  Charles 
Starr.     Carl  Green  is  the  faithful  pastor. 

Union   ( Woodlawn  ) . 

Organized  1842,  by  David  Chance;  present  membership, 
50;  value  of  property,  $1,000. 

The  charter  members  were  Thomas  Howell  and  wife, 
Burden  Nichols  and  wife,  Elijah  Smith  and  wife,  Paul 
McMillen  and  wife,  and  Robin  Moore  and  wife.  The  pres- 
ent elders  are  Huston  Johnson,  A.  L.  Severs  and  O.  L. 
Smith.  The  minister  is  Otto  Timmons.  W.  J.  Bledsoe  is 
correspondent.     It  is  two  miles  northwest. 

On  the  western  edge  of  the  county,  three  miles  east  of 
Ashley,  there  stood  in  1866,  in  the  woods,  an  old  brick  chapel 
which  had  no  floor  but  dirt.  It  was  called  "Old  Union,"  and 
the  congregation  that  met  there  is  thought  to  have  been  the 
oldest  in  the  county,  having  been  organized  in  the  thirties. 

The  Antioch  congregation,  two  miles  east  of  Dix,  and 
that  at  Belle  Rive,  both  having  chapels,  have  both  ceased  to 
meet. 

This  Antioch  Church  gave  Orville  Hawkins  to  the 
ministry. 

In  1913  a  congregation  of  forty  members  was  formed  at 
Waltonville. 

JOHNSON   COUNTY. 

Belknap. 

Organized  1896,  by  G.  L.  Wolfe;  present  membership, 
44;  value  of  property,  $1,800;  Bible  school  began  1896;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  54. 


238  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

This  church  was  the  result  of  a  meeting  held  by  Minister 
^''°^^^-  Berea  (Vienna). 

This  is  a  country  church  located  about  five  miles  from 
Vienna.  It  was  organized  a  few  years  after  the  Bethlehem 
Church,  and  its  history  is  similar  in  nearly  every  respect.  It 
has  been  served  by  the  same  preachers.  The  families  of 
Fickens,  Starke,  Gage  and  Albriton  have  been  prominent  in 
the  work  here.  Beverly  Albriton  was  a  local  preacher  who 
came  from  the  South  and  settled  here.  He  and  his  son, 
George  Albriton,  have  served  the  church  as  elders  almost 
continuously. 

Bethlehem  (Vienna). 

Organized  1847,  by  Minister  Wooten ;  present  member- 
ship, 30;  value  of  property,  $600;  no  Bible  school. 

This  is  thought  to  be  the  oldest  church  of  Christ  in  the 
county. 

Many  of  the  people  of  the  neighborhood  came  from 
Middle  Tennessee,  as  did  Minister  Wooten  also.  The  first 
meetings  were  held  in  a  brush  arbor.  Then  a  log  house  was 
built.  In  later  years  this  gave  way  to  a  comfortable  frame 
building.  Norman  Mozley,  Sr.,  was  the  leading  spirit.  Asso- 
ciated with  him  were  faithful  men  and  women.  The  church 
has  had  the  services  of  able  preachers.  It  has  given  J.  F. 
Hight  to  the  ministry. 

Grantshurg, 

Organized  1902,  by  J.  N.  Cowan ;  present  membership, 
24;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1902;  pres- 
ent enrollment,   14. 

The  formation  of  this  church  was  largely  due  to  the 
Christian  activity  of  J.  N.  Cowan  and  W.  B.  Bivins,  who 
have  served  it  as  elders  since  its  organization. 

New  Burnside. 

Organized  1875;  present  membership,  50;  Bible-school 
enrollment,  27. 


CHURCHES  239 

Vienna. 

Organized  1866,  by  John  Lemon;  present  membership, 
56;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1866;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  57. 

During  the  Civil  War,  John  Lemon  and  his  son  Josephus 
came  as  refugees  from  the  South  to  Johnson  County.  They 
at  once  formed  a  church  of  Christ  at  Gum  Spring,  in  1863, 
four  miles  west  of  Vienna.  Its  members  were  also  mostly 
refugees.  The  house  used  at  Gum  Spring  was  a  union 
chapel.  A  Baptist  church  had  been  first  organized  there. 
After  the  close  of  the  war,  many  returned  to  their  homes  in 
the  South;  thus  the  congregation  ceased  to  be. _  However, 
this  was  the  impulse  that  started  the  church  in  \'ienna.  The 
first  meetings  were  held  in  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church.  It  was  not  long  until  the  Disciples  were  denounced 
as  ''heretics"  and  the  church  door  was  locked  against  them. 
An  intelligent  lady  who  witnessed  this  expulsion  said: 
"Surely  these  are  the  Lord's  people;  for  this  is  the  way  they 
treated  the  Saviour  and  his  apostles."  She  cast  in  her  lot 
with  them.  After  Minister  Lemon  there  came  Matthew 
Wilson,  John  Lindsay  and  others.  R.  R.  ^IcCall  and  I.  A._  J. 
Parker  were  helpful  in  building  up  the  church.  A  brick 
house  was  erected  in   1871. 

There  was  a  small  congregation  at  Elvira  thirty-five  years 
ago  that  met  in  a  schoolhouse.  When  Minister  Shelt  moved 
away,  the  members  were  scattered. 

There  was  a  small  band  formed  at  LTnion  Hill  about 
1900,  but  it  did  not  continue. 

Personals. — In  the  seventies  J.  W.  Bradley,  of  Clay 
County,  preached  in  this  county;  so  also  did  Stanton  Field, 
of  Grand  Chain.  Mr.  Field  was  a  farmer,  but  a  great 
preacher  too.  He  combined  the  logical  faculty  with  a  vivid 
imagination  and  a  svmpathetic  heart. 

J.  M.  Radcliff  did  good  service  in  this  and  other  counties. 
He  was  a  large  man  of  lion-like  appearance,  and  a  fine 
revivalist. 


240  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

John  F.  Mecoy  came  from  Marshall  County,  Ky.  He 
grew  to  manhood  under  adverse  circumstances,  so  that  after 
his  marriage  his  wife  taught  him  to  read.  He  spent  his  life 
on  his  farm,  but  he  became  a  great  teacher  of  the  Bible,  a 
brilliant  preacher  and  a  successful  evangelist.  In  Kentucky 
he  led  many  young  men  to  the  ministry.  He  stood  first 
against  slavery  and  for  the  Union.  He  was  a  born  gen- 
tleman. 

James  H.  Carter  served  in  the  Legislature.  S.  M.  Glas- 
ford  w^as  a  member  of  the  State  Senate,  and  served  the 
Vienna  Church  as  an  elder  to  the  close  of  his  life. 

Dr.  R.  M.  McCall  was  assistant  superintendent  of  the 
State  Hospital   for  the  Insane  at  Anna. 

Other  Disciples  filled  various  county  ofiices.  J.  F.  Hight 
has  earnestly  contended  for  the  faith,  and  held  a  public  dis- 
cussion on  every  occasion  for  a  period  of  twenty-five  years. 
Now  he  is  serving  as  county  judge.  Evidently  he  is  a  diplo- 
m.atist.  But  he  continues  to  preach  to  those  who  are  poor 
and  neglected. 

KANE    COUNTY. 

Batavia. 

Organized  1852,  by  M.  N.  Lord;  present  membership,  72; 
value  of  property,  $4,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  108. 

There  were  twelve  charter  members.  The  public  meet- 
ings were  first  held  in  a  room  over  a  store  on  Wilson  Street, 
a  few  doors  west  of  South  River  Street,  then  from 
house  to  house  till  the  completion  of  a  chapel  in  1868.  This 
is  yet  used.  Among  the  earlier  ministers  who  served  the 
congregation  there  were  L.  Coolev,  Dr.  W.  H.  Hopson,  Mr. 
Phinney,  Moses  E.  Lard,  B.  F.  Hall,  J.  D.  Benedick,  J.  J. 
Moss  and  others.  For  a  long  time  the  congregation  has  been 
served  by  students  from  the  Disciples'  Divinity  House. 
Deaths  and  removals  have  decimated  the  membership,  and 
accessions  have  not  kept  pace.  The  church  much  needs  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel. 


CHURCHES  241 

John  Gunzenhauser  resides  there  and  still  serves  the 
church  well,  as  he  has  for  many  years. 

A  church  was  organized  in  1841  at  Dundee  with  eighteen 
members,  but  never  grew  to  self-support. 

Repeated  and  persistent  efforts  to  establish  a  church  of 
Christ  in  Elgin  have  all  failed. 

KNOX    COUNTY. 

One  of  the  first  churches  in  this  county  was  constituted 
in  the  village  of  Henderson  about  1838.  In  the  forties  J.  E. 
Murphy,  Smith  Wallace  and  J.  E.  Martin  preached  there. 
Morran  Baker  was  the  leader.  In  1850  a  brick  chapel  was 
built.  About  1853  Min.  Ziba  Brown  held  a  revival  which 
added  to  the  church  many  prominent  families  of  the  com- 
munity. Then  James  Gaston  ministered  to  the  church  nine 
years.     Thereafter  the  congregation  dwindled  to  its  end. 

In  the  early  times  there  was  a  flourishing  church  at 
French  Grove,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county. 

At  Walnut  Grove,  also,  near  Altona,  there  was  a  strong 
church  before  the  railroads  came. 

In  1850  the  Union  chapel  was  built  five  miles  east  and 
one  north  of  Galesburg,  and  a  congregation  formed  there. 
This  church  gave  E.  B.  Reynolds  to  the  ministry.  John 
Spooner  was  the  leader  here.  Among  the  preachers  were 
Milton  Dodge,  Jordan  Dodge,  Robert  Wallace,  Patrick  H. 
Murphy,  Henry  Murphy  and  James  W.  Butler. 

There  was  a  congregation  of  Christians  in  Maquon  before 

and  after  1870.  ^, .      , 

Ahmgdon. 

Organized  1850,  by  John  E.  Murphy  and  Milton  Dodge; 
present  membership,  450;  value  of  property,  including  par- 
sonag-e,  $5,000:  Bible-school  enrollment,  208. 

The  pages  of  the  history  of  the  Abingdon  Church  are 
covered  with  smiles  and  tears,  joys  and  sorrows.  Its  periods 
were  measured  by  success  and  failure.  It  was  a  small  village 
in   1849. 

Then,   some   who   loved   the  gospel   in   its   simplicity   met 


242  HISTORY    OF   THE    DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

for  worship  in  Indian  Point  Schoolhouse,  an  old  log  buildr 
ing,  located  about  one  mile  west  of  the  present  school  site; 
others  met  in  the  home  of  John  Dawdy,  south  of  town ; 
others  at  Israel  Marshall's  home  northwest,  and  some  in  the 
St.  Augustine  Schoolhouse.  Those  Disciples  thought  it  no 
hardship  to  ride  or  walk  through  mud  or  snow  to  worship 
God  according  to  his  word. 

In  1850,  John  E.  Murphy  and  Milton  Dodge  held  a  series 
of  meetings  in  the  Indian  Point  Schoolhouse.  The  interest 
became  intense.  People  came  from  Meridian,  Cold  Brook, 
St.  Augustine — from  far  and  near — in  wagons,  on  horseback 
and  on  foot.  Many  were  obedient  to  the  faith.  At  the  close 
of  the  meeting  the  Abingdon  Church  w^as  organized. 

The  charter  members  were  Jane  Dowdy  (Boydstrum), 
the  sole  resident  survivor ;  Thomas  and  Isabel  Roberson,  John 
Boydstrum,  Alford  and  Cassie  Dowdy,  Elijah  Meadows; 
Jane,  Sarah  and  Julia  Meek ;  Cynthia  Brunson,  Willis  Riggs, 
Taylor  Lomax,  Jonathan  Bobbitt  and  wife,  John  Latimer 
and  w^ife,  John  Vertreece  and  wiie,  Nathan  Bradbury,  B. 
Edmonson  and  wife,  Mrs.  John  Killam,  Israel  Maxwell,  Eliza 
and  Phoebe  Latimore,  Lemuel  Meadows  and  wife,  William 
Meadows  and  wife,  Mr.  Williams  and  wife,  and  Nancy 
Williams.  First  elders,  William  Maxwell  and  Jonathan 
Price ;  deacons,  William  and  Lemuel  Meadows. 

Besides  the  two  named,  the  preachers  of  the  early  days 
were  John  Miller,  Livy  Hatchett,  P.  J.  Murphy,  Isaac  Mur- 
phy and  others. 

When  the  congregation  outgrew  the  first  house  erected 
in  1857,  they  w^orshiped  in  the  chapel  of  the  Abingdon  Col- 
lege building.  Since  then  several  houses  have  been  built  and 
used.  The  last  was  enlarged  and  otherwise  improved  at  a 
cost  of  $7,000  during  the  pastorate  of  F.  L.  Aloore. 

During  the  colleee  period  the  church  was  served  bv  Mins. 
J.  C.  Reynolds,  P.  H.  Murphy,  J.  W.  Butler,  A.  J.  Thomp- 
son, A.  P.  Aten  and  B.  O.  Aylesworth. 

The  death  of  the  college  wTought  a  division  in  the  church 
that  continued  ten  years. 


CHURCHES  243 

From  first  to  last,  fifty-two  preachers  have  served  the 
congregation.  It  is  now  a  fine  church,  faithful  in  attendance, 
missionary  to  the  core  and  living  in  the  spirit  of  unity. 

In  its  early  years  there  was  neither  organ  nor  choir. 
They  were  thought  to  be  sinful.  Judge  Durham  led  the 
songs  for  many  years.  The  women  were  taught  to  keep 
silent.  Mrs.  Emma  Aten  was  the  first  to  read  a  chapter  to 
the  edification  of  the  assembly. 

Many  hundreds  have  begun  the  Christian  life  here,  and 
many  have  gone  in  Christ's  service  into  many  lands. 

East  Galcsburg. 

Organized  1902,  by  J.  M.  Morris ;  present  membership, 
75 ;  value  of  property,  $600 ;  Bible-school  enrollment,  60. 

Galcsburg. 

Organized  1871,  by  Dr.  J.  B.  Vivion ;  present  member- 
ship, 878;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $13,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  714. 

Meetings  were  held  here  in  the  sixties,  and  possibly 
earlier,  by  a  few  Disciples  in  residences,  halls  and  the  office 
of  Dr.  J.  B.  Vivion,  who  was  an  intelligent  and  earnest 
Christian.     The  church  was  constituted  in  his  office. 

The  Swedish  M.  E.  chapel  was  purchased  and  Evangelist 
Knowles  Shaw  conducted  a  series  of  meetings,  adding 
some  strength  to  the  congregation.  In  1878  the  chapel  was 
moved  to  West  Thompson  Street,  between  Broad  and  Cedar 
Streets.  In  1892  the  present  building  on  North  West  Street 
was  finished  and  occupied  during  the  pastorate  of  G.  J. 
Ellis.  In  late  years  the  church  has  made  rapid  and  sub- 
stantial progress, 

Henry  jM.  Bruner  and  John  B.  Scheitlan  were  true  sup- 
porters and  leaders  in  the  earlier  years. 

Hermon. 

Present  membership,  116;  value  of  property,  $2,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  106. 


244  HISTORY    OF    THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Knoxville, 

Organized  1869,  by  J.  H.  Garrison;  present  membership, 
255;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $17,000;  Bible 
school  began   1869;  present  enrollment,   160. 

A  church  of  Christ  was  formed  here  as  early  as  1838. 
There  were  twelve  members.  Among  them  were  Alin.  Jacob 
Grum,  Dr.  Hansford  and  wife,  John  Karns,  a  tailor  and 
clothier,  and  John  Eads,  an  active  Christian.  As  the  years 
passed,  so  also  did  this  congregation.  It  was  reorganized  in  a 
meeting  led  by  Mr.  Garrison  in  1869,  and  has  steadily 
advanced  into  active  usefulness.  At  that  time  it  was  increased 
by  a  remnant  of  members  from  the  Union  congregation,  that 
had  lived  northwest  of  the  town  for  nineteen  years. 

This  church  gave  H.  J.  Reynolds  to  the  ministry. 

Meridian   Church    (Abingdon). 

Organized  1839,  by  John  E.  Murphy ;  present  member- 
ship, 80;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 90. 

Five  miles  west  of  Abingdon  is  an  imposing  structure 
that  for  many  years  has  been  known  far  and  near  as  the 
Meridian  Christian  Church.  Its  records  are  still  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation,  from  which  the  following  excerpts  are 
m^ade : 

May  4th,  1839. 

We  the  undersigned,  having  met  at  Bro.  Meadows'  agreeably  by 
appointment  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  Christian  congregation  upon 
the  word  of  God  to  men,  and  that  the  New  Testament  contains  the  only 
rule  of  faith  by  which  Christians  should  be  governed,  we  do  agree  to 
unite  as  a  congregation  to  attend  to  the  ordinances  of  the  house  of 
God  and  the  means  of  edification  afforded  in  his  word. 

After  a  discourse  was  delivered  by  Bro.  J.  Murphy,  the  names  in 
the  following  list  agree  to  become  united  as  a  body  of  Christians  upon 
the  word  of  God:  INF.  Jameson.  Sarah  Jameson.  Lydriam  Dawson,  J.  B. 
Reynolds,  Phebe  Reynolds,  Charles  Reynolds,  John  Dodge,  Theodocia 
Dodge,  Thomas  Dodge,  Jordan  Dodge,  John  M.  Dodge,  Margarete 
Dodge,  Rachel  Reynolds,  Henry  Meadows,  Polly  Meadows.  Nancy 
Meadows.  Melinda  ]\Teadows,  Ephraim  Smith.  Hannah  Smith,  Francis 
Godard,   Seth   C.   Murphy,   Irene   Murphy,   Elizabeth   Murphy,   Nancy 


CHURCHES  245 

Murphy,  William  Murphy,  John  Fisher,  Elizabeth  Fisher,  Thompson 
Brock,  Jacob  Boydstun,  Israel  M.  Marshall,  Stephen  Howard,  John 
Dandy,  James  Holland,  Martha  Howard,  Mother  Meadows. 

After  the  names  of  the  Disciples  were  ascertained,  it  was  thought 
best  to  have  the  officers  chosen.  J.  B.  Reynolds  and  Seth  C.  Murphy 
were  chosen  bishops  of  the  congregation.  \V.  Meadows  and  T.  E. 
Smith  were  chosen  deacons,  and  John  M.  Dodge,  recorder. 

The  people  met  in  schoolhotises,  in  homes,  and  often, 
during  the  summer  season,  in  the  shade  of  the  maple-trees — 
breaking-  the  loaf  and  heeding  the  message  from  some  honest 
pioneer  preacher. 

The  following  from  the  old  records  are  both  instructive 
and  suggestive.  The  first  doubtless  came  from  Vincennes, 
Ind.: 

"Vincennes,  January  14,  1842, 
"To  All  to  Whom  This  May  Come,  Greeting: 

"That  our  beloved  Bro.  Edward  Perdue  and  Sister  Jane  Perdue,  his 
companion,  were  members  in  full  fellowship  in  the  Church  of  Christ 
at  Vincennes  and  we  take  great  pleasure  in  recommending  them  to  the 
care  of  the  Brethren  in  the  Lord  wherever  they  may  wish  to  enroll 
themselves.  Done  by  order  of  the  church  at  Vincennes." 

"The  church  of  God  in  Cold  Brook,  Warren  Co..  Illinois,  recom- 
mends to  the  faithful  in  Christ  Jesus  wherever  she  may  choose  to  attach 
herself,  our  worthy  and  much  beloved  Sister  Sarah  Johnson,  who  has 
so  conducted  herself  a  Christian  as  to  authorize  us  to  commend  her  to 
the  confidence  and  watchful  care  of  all  God's  people. 

"Done  by  order  of  the  church  July  8th,  A.  D.  1842. 

"Josi.AH   Whitman, 
"Jno.  G.  FIaley, 

"Elders." 

"December  26,  1847,  John  M.  Lodge,  who  was  employed  as  evan- 
gelist, closed  his  labors  with  fifty-three  additions  by  baptism. 

"February,  1848,  brethren  were  sent  as  delegates  and  agreement 
was  entered  into  that  John  M.  Dodge  should  be  sustained  for  seven 
months  and  to  receive  eighteen  and  one-half  dollars  a  month  for  his 
services,  to  proclaim  the  word  of  life  wherever  it  was  thought  best  to 
labor." 

Letters  received  were  not  simply  placed  on  file,  btit  were 
made  a  part  of  the  church  record. 

During  those  years  many  from  Kentucky,  and  other 
Southern  States,  found  their  way  into  this  county.     Perhaps 


246  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

as  many  as  fifty  letters  from  the  Southern  Baptists  were 
placed  in  the  Meridian  Church  during  a  period  of  twenty 
years. 

The  roster  of  the  congregation  has  been  revised  seven 
or  eight  times.  Many  were  received  into  membership  and 
many  have  gone  out  into  almost  every  part  of  the  Union. 

They  supported  liberally  evangelists  who  labored  in  other 
fields.  This  record  tells  of  numerous  collections  that  were 
taken  up  for  the  poor  and  needy.  It  tells  of  the  social  hour 
when  smiles  and  tears  mingled  with  joy  and  gladness.  Those 
who  may  now  read  it  will  learn  of  the  heroic  faith  and 
undying  devotion  of  those  Disciples  to  the  cause  of  Christ. 
It  is  to-day  one  of  the  best  communities  to  be  found  in  the 
county. 

The  first  church  house  was  built  in  1841  ;  the  second  and 
present  one,  in  1880. 

St.  Augustine. 

Present  membership,  110;  value  of  property,  $3,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  62. 

LAKE    COUNTY. 

In  the  thirties,  Darius  Gage  and  two  of  his  brothers, 
with  Benedict  Stevens  and  Emmons  Shepard,  came  from 
near  Cleveland,  O.,  and  settled  on  lands  in  the  northern  part 
of  Lake  County.  A  village,  located  about  three  miles  north- 
east of  Fox  Lake  and  one  mile  south  of  the  Wisconsin  line, 
was  laid  out,  to  which  the  name  of  Gageville  was  given. 
Some  years  afterward  the  name  was  changed  to  x\ntioch,  by 
which  it  is  still  known.  In  this  community  a  church  after 
the  primitive  order  was  constituted  Aug.  7,  1841,  with  twenty 
members,  by  Min.  William  Davenport,  then  of  Walnut  Grove. 
It  was  the  first  church  of  Christ  In  the  northern  tier  of 
counties  in  the  State.  It  lived  and  thrived  until  about  1910, 
when  the  chapel  was  rented  to  the  German  Lutherans. 

The  Fort  Hill  Church,  three  miles  south  of  Lonof  Lake, 
was  organized  in  1850  by  Min.  L.  J.  Correll.     It  served  its 


CHURCHES  247 

community  well  for  fifty  years  and  then  disappeared.  While 
A.  R.  Knox  was  preaching  for  this  congregation  he  bap- 
tized in  1856  four  heads  of  families  who  were  Roman  Cath- 
olics. Of  one  of  these  families  there  are  two  grandsons  who 
are  preaching  the  primitive  gospel. 

In  the  sixties  a  church  was  formed  at  Millburn  which 
did  well  for  some  years. 

In  the  seventies  the  congregations  in  Lake  and  McHenry 
Counties  united  in  employing  an  evangelist.  He  was  a  fluent 
speaker,  but,  as  soon  after  learned,  of  bad  reputation.  His 
conduct  scandalized  the  cause  he  pretended  to  represent. 
When  the  iniquitous  embroilment  had  passed,  the  cause  was 
prostrate.  Som.e  of  the  churches  did  not  recover,  and  others 
only  after  pain  and  loss. 

In  1849  the  custom  of  yearly  meetings  was  begun.  These 
were  continued  for  forty  years.  Their  chief  object  was  to 
reach  by  the  gospel  those  who  would  not  attend  the  meetings 
of  the  congregations.  They  also  cultivated  the  spirit  of  lov- 
ing fraternity  among  the  Disciples,  who  were  mostly  fine 
people  in  this  county. 

Min.  L.  J.  Correll  came  into  this  county  in  the  early 
forties  and  did  a  yeoman's  service.  He  died  in  Nebraska 
about  1908. 

Mins.  G.  B.  Willis  and  A.  J.  Smith  were  also  efiicient 
preachers. 

Gurnee. 

\  Organized  1860,  by  A.  R.  Knox  and  Andrew  J.  Smith ; 
present  membership,  75 :  value  of  property,  including  par- 
sonage, $6,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,   115. 

In  the  summer  of  1859,  A.  R.  Knox  began  to  preach  in 
a  schoolhouse  four  miles  west  of  Waukegan,  on  the  Oplain 
River.  The  community  was  much  infected  with  Universalism 
and  Spiritism.  A  month's  meeting  was  held  the  following- 
winter,  in  which  Pastor  A.  J.  Smith,  of  Antioch,  did  the 
preaching.  A  goodly  number  were  baptized  and  a  church 
was  organized.     The  meetings  were  held  in  the  schoolhouse 


248  HISTORY    01<    THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

till  1879,  when  the  church  building  was  erected.  Before  that 
time,  in  addition  to  those  already  named,  John  Aylesworth, 
Wesley  Marsh,  W.  L.  Hayden,  L.  J.  Correll  and  L.  A. 
Dowling  served  the  church. 

Waukcgan — First. 

Organized  1888,  by  A.  R.  Knox  and  E.  A.  Ott;  present 
membership,  90;  value  of  property,  $8,000;  Bible-school 
enrollment,  48. 

The  first  congregation  here  was  wrecked  by  the  evil  influ- 
ence of  the  unworthy  evangelist  above  referred  to.  After  a 
lapse  of  ten  years  a  new  start  was  made.  The  charter  mem- 
bers then  were  C.  M.  Cyrus  and  wife,  Phila  Winter,  Lucretia 
Emmons,  Sarah  Calkins,  Adelaide  Connors ;  A.  R.,  Jane,  New- 
ton, Mary,  Emma  and  Lottie  Knox. 

This  church  gave  Dewitt  Bradbury  to  the  ministry. 

IVankegan — West  Side. 

Organized  1905,  by  E.  N.  Tucker ;  present  membership, 
89;  value  of  property,  $6,100;  Bible  school  began  1905; 
present  enrollment,  117. 

LA   SALLE   COUNTY. 

About  1865  there  was  a  Christian  congregation  in  Lostant 
of  near  thirty  members.  It  was  gathered  together  by  J.  G. 
Waggoner,  who  was  then  teaching  the  public  school  there. 
It  included  in  its  membership  Dr.  King  and  family  and  Dr. 
Vandervoort,  all  of  Tonica.  Meetings  were  held  in  the 
Baptist  and  M.  E.  chapels.  When  Mr.  Waggoner  returned 
to  college  the  meetings  soon  ceased,  deaths  and  removals 
occurring.  The  Baptist  chapel  there  is  now  waiting  for  the 
use  of  others. 

James  A.  Garfield  was  interested  in  building  the  railroad 
leading  southwest  of  Streator.  A  few  years  after  the  close 
of  the  Civil  War  he  made  a  trip  over  the  right-of-way  with 
Colonel  Plumb.  They  took  dinner  with  a  Mr.  Allen  and 
family.     It  was  decided  to  establish  a  station  near  this  place. 


CHURCHES  249 

The  people  of  the  neighborhood  were  so  much  pleased  with 
Mr.  Garfield  that  they  cheerfully  approved  of  the  proposition 
of  Colonel  Plumb  to  name  the  town  Garfield. 

A  few  families  of  the  Streator  Church  who  reside  in  the 
community  have  kept  a  union  Sunday  school  going  for  some 
time,  but  the  Papal  influences  have  hindered  the  building  of 
a  church.  Meetings  are  held  in  a  hall  owned  by  Mr.  Stro- 
snider,  an  aged  and  intelligent  Disciple.  His  daughter,  Mrs. 
Maud  Stewart,  is  the  Bible-school  superintendent. 

Dana. 

Organized  1865,  by  J.  Q.  A.  Houston ;  present  member- 
ship, 57;  value  of  property,  $8,000;  Bible  school  began  1861; 
present  enrollment,   194. 

The  Christian  people  living  near  Diamond  Creek,  in  the 
early  sixties,  in  the  panhandle  of  La  Salle  County,  met  for 
public  worship  in  schoolhouses  and  their  own  homes.  A 
chapel  was  completed  in  the  village  of  Dana  in  1868.  This 
house  gave  place  in  1909  to  a  new  and  modern  structure 
built  of  cement  blocks. 

Four  of  the  first  members  are  living:  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Mar- 
tin, Dana ;  Mrs.  E.  Jones  and  Mrs.  P.  Alartin,  of  Minonk, 
and  R.  S.  Manning,  of  Nebraska  State.  Of  the  earher 
preachers,  Messrs.  Watson,  Trowbridge,  Lindsey,  Crogan, 
Brokaw,  Prophater  and  Boggs  served  the  congregation. 

The  Bible  school  is  front  rank  and  the  church  has  grown 
in  power  and  influence  in  the  community. 

W.  O.  Lappin  is  the  pastor. 

Ottazva. 

Organized  1913.  by  J.  Fred  Jones:  present  membership. 
20;  value  of  property, ^$2,000 :  Bible  school  began  1913;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  40. 

The  Fourth  Missionarv  District  led  in  the  form.ation  of 
the  church  of  Christ  in  this  county-seat.  The  building  and 
lot  formerly  used  by  the  St.  Paul's  Evansfelical  Church  were 
sold  at  auction  and  bought    by    the    District    Board.      Mr. 


250  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

George  Armstrong,  of  Ancona,  and  John  Vissering,  of  Dana, 
had  promised   financial   help. 

C.  M.  Smithson,  the  pastor  at  Streator,  and  IT.  IT.  Jenner, 
pastor  at  Long  Point,  have  given  valuable  assistance. 

The  Long  Point  Church  gave  $200  on  the  purchase  of 
the  property. 

Rutland. 

Organized  1868,  by  W.  H.  Watson;  present  membership, 
180;  value  of  property,  $4,300;  Bible  school  began  1868; 
present  enrollment,    100. 

Minister  Watson  held  a  series  of  meetings,  and  at  the 
close,  assisted  by  Min.  A.  H.  Trowbridge,  organized  a  church 
with  thirty-eight  members,  as  follows :  John  Roe,  Abram 
Mullin,  David  Mullin,  George  Boyd,  John  Ware,  G.  T. 
Crumrine,  James  Rowland  and  their  wives  severally ;  Mrs. 
Sarah,  Mrs.  Martha  and  Miss  Maria  Crumrine ;  Jonathan 
Wilson,  James  Cox,  Mrs.  Jane  and  Miss  Elizabeth  Wilson, 
Josiah  Richmond,  Jesse  W.  Evans,  Samuel  Ware,  Mrs.  Clara 
Rickey,  Mrs.  Catherine  xA.nsborn  and  Thomas  Bane ;  the 
other  names  were  not  secured.  Only  six  of  these  now  reside 
in  Rutland. 

A.  H.  Trowbridge  served  the  congregation  eleven  years. 
The  Roe,  Mullin,  Boyd,  Richmond  and  Sutton  families  have 
been  active  forces  in  the  congregation.  Wm.  Drummet  was 
given  to  the  ministry. 

T.  Wilson  Milteer  is  clerk. 

Streator. 

Organized  1870,  by  J.  C.  Tully ;  present  membership,  385 ; 
value  of  property,  $22,500;  Bible-school  enrollment,  270. 

J.  W.  Barnhart,  a  devout  and  devoted  man,  was  the 
leader  in  establishing  this  church.  In  1870  there  was  a 
chapel  there  that  members  of  all  religious  bodies  had  paid 
for,  but  the  legal  title  was  held  by  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church.  In  this  building  Mr.  Tully  began  a  meeting 
in  June  of  that  year.     After  he  had  preached  a  few  sermons 


CHURCHES  251 

the  doors  were  closed  against  him.  The  following  Sunday 
morning  the  few  Disciples  met  for  worship  in  the  front  yard 
of  Wm.  Ley,  on  South  Monroe  Street.  Then  and  there  the 
church  was  organized.  Mr.  Ley  was  chosen  deacon  and  has 
given  the  church  commendable  service  in  this  capacity  to  the 
present  time.  Thereafter  meetings  were  held  in  a  small  hall. 
Charles  Rowe  became  the  first  pastor,  and  a  small  frame 
chapel  was  built  and  occupied  the  next  year.  Dr.  Streator, 
for  whom  the  town  was  named  and  a  leading  Disciple  of 
Cleveland,  O.,  held  large  financial  interests  there,  so  he 
readily  gave  a  location  and  helped  in  the  building.  This 
chapel  was  used  until  1906,  when,  during  the  pastorate  of 
C.  D.  Hougham,  the  present  modern  edifice  was  completed. 
Its  location  is  more  central. 

Following  Mr.  Rowe  came  students  from  Eureka,  by 
whom  the  pulpit  was  supplied. 

In  addition  to  J.  W.  Barnhart,  whose  memory  is  revered, 
and  Wm.  Ley,  whose  long  fidelity  is  honored,  the  church 
also  highly  esteems  Mrs.  Mary  Anderson.  It  was  here  that 
she  left  a  large  and  popular  church  to  become  a  Christian 
only.  When  the  spiritual  life  of  the  church  ran  low  because 
competent  leadership  was  lacking,  she,  with  a  few  others,  met 
regularly  and  maintained  the  order  of  the  Lord's  house. 

The  church  is  steadily  growing  in  power  and  influence  in 
the  community  and  the  outlook  is  bright.  C.  M.  Smithson 
is  the  pastor. 

Tonica. 

Organized  1912,  by  Chas.  P.  Murphy;  present  member- 
ship, 19;  Bible  school  began  1913;  present  enrollment,  100. 

Mrs.  Chas.  I.  Haughey  and  her  husband,  assisted  by  Min. 
C.  M.  Smithson,  of  Streator,  led  in  the  formation  of  this 
congregation.  The  meeting  conducted  by  Evangelist  Murphy 
was  held  in  the  vacant  BaDtist  chapel,  which  is  offered  to  the 
Discinles  for  a  small  fraction  of  its  value. 

There  were  nine  charter  members.  Min.  E.  E.  Hartley 
and  wife  held  a  meeting  early  in  1913  which  added  others, 


252  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

organized  a  Bible  school    and    a    ladies'    aid    with    twenty 
members. 

LAWRENCE  COUNTY. 

Allison   (Vincennes,  Ind.). 

Organized  1815-28;  present  membership,  170;  value  of 
property,  $5,500;  Bible  school  began  1874;  present  enroll- 
ment, 102. 

This  society  was  first  formed  by  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Denomination.  A  reorganization  took  place  in  1828,  at 
which  time  it  is  probable  that  the  membership  came  nearer 
the  position  of  the  Disciples.  A  purely  country  church, 
located  on  a  wide,  rich  prairie,  in  continuous  Christian  activi- 
ties for  ninety-seven  years  is  a  singular  and  magnificent  rec- 
ord. Its  location  is  seven  miles  northeast  of  Lawrenceville. 
Its  first  meetings  for  public  worship  were  held  in  the  homes 
of  the  people ;  then  in  Center  Schoolhouse  until  the  forties, 
when  a  neat  frame  chapel  was  built.  This  served  for  more 
than  fifty  years.  About  1896  a  new,  modern  and  up-to-date 
building  was  erected.  The  church  is  abreast  of  the  times  in 
a  remarkable  degree  for  a  country  membership.  It  shows 
what  can  be  done  when  the  people  have  a  mind  to  work. 

It  has  given  to  the  ministry  C.  L.  Organ  and  Mrs. 
Rochester  Irwin. 

This  community  was  known  from  its  beginning  as  "The 
Christian  Settlement."  The  fine  formative  influences  of 
those  sturdy  pioneers  have  come  down  through  all  the  inter- 
vening years. 

Bethany    (Lawrenceville). 

Organized  1879,  by  Cyrus  Clemments ;  present  member- 
ship, 35;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible  school  began  1879; 
present  enrollment,  33. 

This  church  is  located  ten  miles  north  of  Lawrenceville. 
The  first  Christians  only  in  the  neighborhood  were  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Romelia  Norris.  Through  their  efforts  Minister  Corter 
first  preached  in  what  is  known  as  the  "Cornbread  School- 


CHURCHES  253 

house."  Later  Min.  C3TUS  Clemments  preached  there  several 
weeks  without  visible  results.  Finally,  Miss  Frances  Judy, 
a  young  lady  of  nineteen,  accepted  Christ.  This  led  others 
to  obedience,  and  a  congregation  was  formed.  Among  the 
first  members  there  were  the  following  named  men  and  their 
wives;  Romelia  Norris,  Richard  Judy,  Jonathan  Smith, 
Amelia  Lester,  William  Kimmell,  Henry  Bennier,  Berry 
Carter ;  also  these  persons  with  their  families :  Jackson  Grey, 
James  D.  Updyke  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Groves. 

Bridgeport. 

Organized  1866,  by  James  McMillen ;  present  member- 
ship, 252;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $22,000; 
Bible  school  began  1863;  present  enrollment,  225. 

In  1861  members  of  the  Pleasant  Hill  Church  who  were 
residing  in  the  village  of  Bridgeport  built  a  house  of  worship 
there.  The  lot  was  given  by  David  Lanterman.  Occasional 
meetings  were  held  therein  until  1866,  when  these  brethren 
obtained  formal  but  willing  permission  from  the  mother 
church  to  organize  in  the  village.  Ministers  McMillen  and 
W.  B.  F.  Treat  were  present  and  so  advised  and  directed. 
There  were  sixty-three  charter  members.  The  church  has 
had  a  checkered  history,  but  the  regular  meetings  conducted 
by  the  elders  have  been  held  every  Lord's  Day.  Revival 
meetings  were  held  by  representative  evangelists.  The  con- 
gregation, having  outgrown  its  old  building  during  the  pas- 
torate of  George  W.  Schroeder,  a  modern  brick  building, 
costing  $16,000,  was  erected.  Dr.  H.  V.  Lewis  gave  the 
parsonage  lot.     T.  H.  Lindenmeyer  is  the  present  pastor. 

Andrew  Baird  was  given  to  the  ministry. 

Chauncey. 

Organized  1890,  by  John  A.  Williams ;  present  member- 
ship, 35;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1890; 
present  enrollment,  30. 

Eleven  persons  from  several  congregations,  including 
Baptists,    formed    this    church.      Daniel    Patton    and    wife 


254  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

donated  the  lot.  The  old  M.  E.  Church  was  bought,  moved 
onto  the  lot  and  remodeled.  The  church  made  but  little 
progress,  so  in  1909  it  was  reorganized  by  J.  F.  Rosboro. 

Lawrenceville. 

Organized  1833,  by  M.  R.  Trimble;  present  membership, 
450;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $25,500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  350. 

This  church  was  the  outgrowth  of  preaching  in  various 
sections  of  the  county.  An  organization  had  been  effected 
at  the  Old  Center  Schoolhouse  as  early  as  1817. 

M.  R.  Trimble  had  preached  at  Springhill,  and  a  house 
had  been  built  there  as  early  as  1820.  West  of  Lawrence- 
ville meetings  had  been  held  in  Lewis'  Schoolhouse  and  La- 
Mott's  barn.  Mr.  Trimble  had  preached  and  conducted  com- 
munion services  in  the  courthouse  yard,  and  also  in  the  ''Old 
Yellow  Courthouse"  in  Lawrenceville.  James  Y.  Beard,  of 
the  Christian  Denomination,  had  also  preached  there  occa- 
sionally. This  church  started  with  forty-one  members.  The 
first  officers  were  C.  M.  Eaton,  Joseph  LaMott  and  Mr. 
Travis.  Soon  thereafter  Mr.  Eaton  gave  the  land  in  the 
village  for  a  church  building,  and  paid  $1,100  of  the  money 
used  in  its  erection,  quite  a  princely  gift  for  those  days.  The 
ground  was  spacious  and  ample.  The  house  served  the  con- 
gregation till  1895,  when  a  commodious  and  up-to-date  build- 
ing was  erected.  This  was  remodeled  in  1908,  a  good  par- 
sonage added  and  the  former  parsonage  turned  into  the  jani- 
tor's residence.  This  church  is  a  living  link  in  the  Foreign 
Society,  supporting  Mrs.  Fred  E.  Hagin  in  Japan.  The  church 
has  held  in  its  membership  many  representative  citizens  who 
were  thoroughly  good  men.  J.  W.  McCleave  was  one  of  these. 
Thomas  A.  Hall  is  the  present  pastor. 

Mt.  Erie   (Sumner). 

Present  membership,  25;  value  of  property,  $500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  30. 

This  is  five  miles  about  south  of  Sumner. 


CHURCHES  255 

Mt.  Zion  (Sumner). 

Organized  1815,  by  William  Kinkade ;  present  member- 
ship, 40;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 40. 

Mr.  P.  W.  Sutherland,  of  Sumner,  HI.,  has  the  old  church 
record-book  that  tells  of  this  beginning.  The  book  is  dis- 
colored by  age,  but  the  writing  is  very  legible.  On  the  first 
page  are  the  words,  "Sold  to  Ean  Miller  for  12^,  Church 
Book  for  Springhill  Church."  No  date  is  given.  On  the 
second  page  a  list  of  110  names  is  started  which  fills  six 
pages.  William  Kinkade's  is  the  first,  and  he  was  the  official 
elder.  Many  of  these  names  have  utterly  faded  from  the 
community.  It  can  not  be  determined  from  this  list  who 
were  the  charter  members.  A  revision  of  it  is  begun  on 
page  7,  where  it  is  said  to  be  "a  list  of  the  members  of  the 
Church  of  Christ  at  Springhill."  A  second  revision  is  begun 
on  page  9,  and  this  entry  is  added:  ''Saturday  before  the 
first  Sunday  in  November,  1825,  the  church  at  Springhill 
entered  a  resolution  to  appoint  a  clerk  to  keep  a  record  of 
all  their  acts  and  particular  business,  and  appointed  Thomas 
Spencer."  The  records  of  the  next  ten  years  follow.  Mr. 
Sutherland  says  that  Mr.  Kinkade  was  a  Greek  and  Latin 
scholar,  the  author  of  a  book  on  the  Holy  Spirit,  a  member 
of  the  Legislature,  the  first  preacher  in  the  community,  and 
that  he  organized  the  Sorinsrhill  congregation  as  "the  Church 
of  Christ"  there.     He  died  before  1833. 

There  is  a  lapse  in  the  records  from  1835  to  1842,  when 
the   following  appears: 

In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen.  The  church  of  God  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus  at  Spn'rehill  in  Lawrence  County.  Illinois,  reorganized 
October  2nd.  A.  D.  1842.  All  names.  Creeds,  Confessions  of  Faith.  Dis- 
ciplines, rules  and  formulas  of  hrman  invention  and  contrivance  are 
totally  discarded.  The  Scriotures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  alone 
are  the  only  and  all-suflRcient  standard  and  rule  of  faith  and  practice, 
of  morals  and  of  discipline.  No  name  or  names  are  acknoweldged  but 
those  contained  and  used  in  the  Scriptures  and  therein  given  to  the 
people  of  God. 


256  HISTORY    OF   THE    DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

This  was  signed  by  M.  R.  Trimble,  William  Clark,  Robert 
Johnson  and  thirty- four  names  follow.  Within  five  days 
Ephraim  D.  Turner  and  John  Fish  were  appointed  deacons, 
and  M.  J.  Hancock,  clerk.  The  next  Lord's  Day  Alexander 
Turner  and  Milan  Z.  Hancock  were  chosen  elders. 

It  is  admitted  that  this  church  was  associated  with  the 
Christian  Denomination  till  1835,  but  whether  it  then  came 
into  the  Restoration  movement  or  not  till  1842  is  not  clear. 
Following  the  latter  date  there  was  much  preaching  in  the 
Springhill  meeting-house  by  Sylvanus  Ades  and  Wm.  Cour- 
ter  and  many  turned  to  the  Lord. 

About  1854  the  congregation  was  reorganized  as  the  Mt. 
Zion  Church,  but  the  former  name  was  much  used  for  the 
next  fifteen  years.  A  frame  chapel  was  built  in  1862  through 
the  leading  and  sacrifice  of  Henry  Vandament.  About  1854 
Marshall  Stivers  became  an  elder,  and  in  this  office  served 
the  church  for  fifty  years  with  great  good  to  the  people. 

Two  swarms  have  gone  out  from  this  old  hive — Bridge- 
port and  Mt.  Erie. 

It  has  given  to  the  ministry  Geo.  P.  Smith,  F.  M.  Shick, 
E.  T.  Stivers,  J.  R.  Sutherland  and  four  or  five  others. 

Over  530  people  have  been  members  here.  Mrs.  Melissa 
Day  has  been  a  member  since  1854. 

Evangelist  Harvey  Mullins  held  a  great  meeting  here 
in  1871. 

Pleasant  Hill  (Bridgeport). 

Organized  1843,  by  M.  R.  Trimble ;  present  m_embership, 
110;  Bible  school  began  1860. 

This  church  is  known  as  White  House  or  Pleasant  Hill. 
It  is  located  four  miles  northwest  of  Bridgeport.  In  1842 
a  company  of  twenty-six  Christians — some  from  Cornbread 
Schoolhouse,  some  from  Lawrenceville  and  some  from  a  con- 
gregation of  the  older  Christian  Church,  including  Min.  Asa 
W.  Baird — got  together  under  the  lead  of  Maurice  R.  Trim- 
ble. The  following  January  they  were  organized,  accepting 
no  name  but  the  Bible  names. 


CHURCHES  257 

A  piece  of  land  was  bought  for  $50  of  Daniel  Barns.  A 
small  but  comfortable  house  was  built  thereon.  This  was 
replaced  in  1872  by  the  larger  and  more  modern  building. 

Some  of  the  preachers  who  have  served  them  were  M. 
R.  Trimble,  Asa  M.  Baird,  D.  D.  Miller,  James  McMillan, 
Harvey  Mullins  and  George  Morrell. 

Pleasant  Ridge    (Lawrenceville). 

Organized  1834,  by  M.  R.  Trimble;  present  membership, 
60;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible  school  began  1869;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  50. 

This  chapel  is  seven  miles  north  of  Lawrenceville.  Its 
first  local  name  was  McNiece.  Its  first  chapel  was  burned 
about  1870.  Meetings  were  then  held  in  Roberts  School- 
house  till  1880,  when  the  present  chapel  was  built.  The  name 
was  then  changed  to  Pleasant  Ridge. 

Gilbert  Jones  was  given  to  the  ministry,  while  George 
and  Thomas  Reed  are  preparing  therefor. 

Rising  Sun  (Russellville). 

Organized  1877,  by  J.  L.  Griffin;  present  membership, 
40;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  22. 

This  location  is  about  eight  miles  northeast  of  Lawrence- 
ville. There  were  seventeen  charter  members  and  the  organ- 
ization was  made  in  the  Rising  Sun  Schoolhouse.  The  chapel 
was  finished  in  1880.  This  is  a  good  country  church  and  has 
a  fine  missionary  spirit.     A  C.  E.  society. 

It  has  given  Frank  Powers  and  Leslie  Wolfe  to  the  min- 
istry.   The  latter  is  a  missionary  in  the  Philippine  Islands. 

Russellville. 

Organized  1840,  by  M.  R.  Trimble;  present  membership, 
50;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible-school  enrollment,  75. 

For  more  than  seventy  years  this  little  church  has  lived 
in  this  little  villag-e.  In  it  good  people  have  served  God,  but 
to  the  great  world  unknown.  A  house  was  built  in  the  for- 
ties, rebuilt  in  the  seventies  and  yet  serves  as  the  place  for 


258  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

public  worship.  The  following  preachers  have  served  there: 
M.  R.  Trimble,  John  Howard,  Panner  Howard,  Jacob  and 
Josiah  Wolf  and  Hiram  Boyles. 

St.  Francisville. 

Organized  1894,  by  W.  R.  Couch ;  present  membership, 
121;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1894; 
present  enrollment,  83. 

Twenty-five  Disciples,  wishing  to  hold  to  Christ  as  their 
only  creed  and  the  Bible  as  their  only  rule  of  faith  and  prac- 
tice, constituted  this  church.  For  two  years  their  meetings 
were  held  in  various  places,  when  the  house  of  worship  was 
erected  in  1896.  Old  Father  Gee,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one, 
helped  to  fell  the  first  tree  that  went  into  the  building.  The 
church  has  been  faithful  in  the  face  of  opposition,  is  well 
organized  and  is  awake  to  the  duty  of  world-wide  missions. 

Sumner. 

Organized  1850,  by  Cornelius  Ades ;  present  membership, 
124;  value  of  property,  $12,000;  Bible  school  began  1868; 
present  enrollment,   111. 

This  church  was  the  result  of  a  series  of  meetings  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  Ades.  Meetings  were  held  in  the  homes  of 
the  members  till  about  1868,  when  a  chapel  was  built.  In 
recent  years  this  gave  place  to  a  modern  structure. 

The  Willow  Branch  Church  was  formed  northwest  of 
Sumner  by  Min.  H.  Y.  Keller  in  1890.  It  continued  for 
fifteen  to  twenty  years. 

LEE  COUNTY. 

Dixon. 

Organized  1894,  by  J.  B.  Wright  and  T.  A.  Beyer;  pres- 
ent membership,  260;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school 
began  1894;  present  enrollment,  200. 

A  tent  meeting  was  conducted  here  by  Ministers  Wright 
and  Boyer,  resulting  in  the  formation  of  a  church  of  Christ 


CHURCHES  259 

with    170  members.     This   was   the   first   preaching  by   the 
Disciples  in  Lee  County. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  congregation  storms  broke  and 
perils  threatened  from  within  as  well  as  without,  but  better 
counsels  prevailed,  and  within  a  brief  period  this  church  has 
become  united,  prosperous  and  useful.  S.  E.  Fisher  is  the 
pastor. 

LIVINGSTON    COUNTY. 

Ancona. 

Organized  1859 ;  present  membership,  191 ;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $3,200;  Bible  school  began  1894;  present  enrollment,  82. 

Members  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  and  Christian 
Churches  united  in  building  a  chapel  in  1860.  This  place 
proved  to  be  a  good  recruiting-place  for  the  Disciples. 
Among  the  first  members  were  Samuel  E.  Maxwell,  Phineas 
Green,  Alfred  Grim,  John  Showman,  Silas  Coe,  Caleb  Mathis, 
R.  W.  Hick,  Margaret  Beckworth  and  Jessie  Carpenter. 
Others  of  recent  years  were  Dr.  Foredyce,  G.  W.  Mathis, 
Frank  Clark,  Geo.  Armstrong,  John  Carrithers,  and  John, 
Cephas  and  Joseph  Coe. 

In  various  ways  the  congregation  has  been  served  by 
Benjamin  Franklin,  J.  B.  McCleary,  J.  W.  Monser,  Rochester 
Irwin ;  Mr.  Thompson,  a  Scotchman ;  Mr.  Nevins,  Isaac 
Slick,  Mr.  Sabin,  W.  B.  F.  Treat ;  John,  JeflFerson  and  Wash- 
ington Houston,  who  were  great  evangelists  and  singers; 
Mr.  Watson,  Mr.  Taylor,  Perry  Ploge,  Mr.  Spencer  and  N. 
J.  Wright,  whose  great  meeting  led  to  the  erection  of  the 
present  building  in  1894. 

The  church  has  given  to  the  ministry  C.  C.  Carpenter  and 
Robert  Witchen. 

Antioch  (Long  Point). 

Organized  1912,  by  B.  L.  Wray;  present  membership,  24; 
value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1909;  present 
enrollment,  45. 

This  church  is  about  five  miles  from  Long  Point,  Plana- 


260  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

gan  and  Dana.  A  Bible  school  was  started  in  the  community 
about  1887.  In  1909,  two  miles  west  of  the  former  meeting- 
place,  i\Irs.  H.  P.  Thompson  formed  a  Sunday  school  in  a 
schoolhouse  near  the  site  of  the  present  chapel.  Min.  Roches- 
ter Irwin  held  a  tent  meeting  there  in  1909.  Out  of  this  grew 
the  building  of  the  chapel.  The  meeting  by  Mr.  Wray  was 
three  years  later.  The  church  has  half-time  afternoon 
preaching  by  H.  H.  Jenner.  The  credit  of  this  work  is 
largely  due  to  David  London,  David  Carlton  and  H.  P. 
Thompson. 

Fairbury. 

Organized  1868,  by  J.  B.  McCorkle;  present  membership, 
163;  value  of  property,  $8,000;  Bible  school  began  1868; 
present  enrollment,  80. 

Minister  McCorkle  introduced  the  apostolic  faith  in  Fair- 
bury.  There  were  nine  charter  members,  only  one  of  whom 
survives.  They  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  B.  Thompson,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  John  Adkins,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hotchkiss,  Mrs.  McCurdy, 
Mrs.  Lizzie  Spence  and  Mrs.  De  Ford. 

The  first  place  of  meeting  was  a  room  over  a  wagon- 
shop.  Later  a  chapel  was  purchased  of  the  Presbyterians. 
In  1894,  during  the  pastorate  of  J.  W.  Porter,  a  more  com- 
modious house  was  built. 

The  life  of  the  congregation  has  ebbed  and  flowed.  After 
various  removals,  vicissitudes  and  discouragements,  there  was 
a  reorganization  in  1880  by  A.  B.  Markle.  W.  C.  Chapman 
is  now  the  pastor. 

Mr.  M.  Hotaling  stood  by  this  work  for  many  years  and 
very  faithfully.  His  son,  Lewis  R.  Tlotaling,  was  given  to 
the  ministry. 

Flanagan. 

Organized  1862,  by  Houston  brothers ;  present  member- 
ship, 195;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $3,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  177. 

A  few  families  of  the  neighborhood  met  for  worship 
sometimes   in   their  own    homes,    sometimes    in    Mt.    Zion 


CHURCHES  261 

Schoolhouse,  three  miles  northeast  of  Flanagan,  and  some- 
times in  the  old  Berean  Schoolhouse,  three  miles  to  the 
southwest.  Min.  A.  H.  Trowbridge  occasionally  rode  horse- 
back thirty  miles  across  the  country  to  preach  to  them. 
There  were  few  roads  then  through  the  prairies.  A 
great  impulse  was  given  to  the  work  here  and  elsewhere  by 
the  coming,  about  this  time,  of  the  three  brothers — Wash- 
ington, Jefferson  and  John  Houston — from  Kentucky.  They 
settled  on  farms  near  Cornell.  They  were  all  preachers  and 
fine  singers.  Among  the  faithful  families  of  that  time  there 
were  the  Hoovers,  Pearsons,  Martins,  Hopwoods,  Wilcoxes 
and  Mouldseas. 

J.  F.  Ghormley,  then  a  student  in  Eureka  College,  by  a 
fine  effort  led  in  building  a  chapel  in  the  village  in  1881. 
Thereafter  the  congregation  grew  steadily  under  his  minis- 
tration and  that  of  J.  T.  Ogle,  E.  A.  Gilliland,  K.  C.  Ven- 
tres and  J.  T.  Alsup,  also  Eureka  students. 

The  church  has  never  been  large.  At  times  so  many 
moved  away  that  it  could  hardly  stand.  Those  left,  by 
prayer  and  diligence,  rebuilt  the  numbers.  Those  who  left 
became  active  members  of  congregations  in  several  States. 

The  church  has  always  been  strong  in  missionary  activi- 
ties in  the  home  and  foreign  fields.  In  1912  it  was  a  living 
link  to  Eureka  College. 

It  has  given  to  the  ministry  R.  J.  Bamber  and  J.  P.  Rolli- 
son.  Earnest  Pearson  is  preparing  for  the  work  of  medical 
missionary. 

Forrest. 

Organized  1868,  by  J.  B.  McCorkle;  present  membership, 
18;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  died. 

Since  its  organization  this  church  has  never  been  numer- 
ically strong  enough  to  maintain  itself  according  to  prevail- 
ing standards.  Many  of  its  efficient  members  have  moved  to 
other  places  and  others  have  died.  Among  the  latter,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  S.  A.  Hoyt,  John  Rudd  and  John  Elmore  are  held 
in  affectionate  remembrance. 


262  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Indian  Grove   (Fairbury). 

Organized  1861,  by  John  Miller;  present  membership,  35; 
value  of  property,  $1,000. 

This  location  is  six  miles  south  of  Fairbury,  A  union 
chapel  was  built  in  1861  and  Evangelist  John  Miller  held  a 
meeting  at  once.     There  were  about  fifty  charter  members. 

In  its  early  period  the  congregation  was  served  by  Min- 
isters Sharpies,  Spence,  Loar,  Holloway,  Houston,  Robenson, 
Carrithers,  Ledgerwood,  Poynter  and  Markle.  W.  C.  Chap- 
man, of  Fairbury,  now  preaches  for  them  Sunday  afternoons. 
A  union  Bible  school  is  maintained.  The  church  of  Christ 
only  keeps  up  its  public  worship. 

Long  Point. 

Organized  1889,  by  L  R.  Spencer ;  present  membership, 
151;  value  of  property,  $9,150;  Bible  school  began  1889; 
present  enrollment,  91. 

Minister  Spencer  led  in  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  Meth- 
odist Protestant  chapel  and  the  organization  of  a  church  of 
Christ  immediately  followed.  There  were  sixty  charter  mem- 
bers. Ministers  of  the  two  congregations  alternated  in  the 
use  of  the  chapel  until  1903.  Then  the  Disciples,  led  by 
Min.  M.  L.  Pontius,  erected  a  good  building  of  their  own. 
In  addition  to  a  parsonage,  built  during  the  pastorate  of 
Rochester  Irwin,  the  church  also  owms  a  cottage  for  its  jan- 
itor and  nine  lots  for  gardening.  Mr.  Irwin  and  wife  gave 
fine  service  here. 

The  church  counts  itself  fortunate  in  having  had  for  its 
ministers,  in  addition  to  those  above  named,  F.  W.  Burnham, 
S.  H.  Zendt,  H.  G.  Bennett,  L.  O.  Lehman,  F.  W.  Sutton, 
J.  W.  Camp,  and  now  H.  H.  Jenner. 

Pontiac. 

Organized  1859,  by  D.  D.  Miller ;  present  membership, 
377;  value  of  property,  $18,100;  Bible  school  began  1859; 
present  enrollment,  275. 


CHURCHES  263 

This  church  was  the  result  of  a  series  of  evangelistic 
meetings  conducted  by  Min.  Washington  Houston.  The  first 
meetings  were  held  in  the  old  schoolhouse  on  the  bank  of 
the  Vermilion  River.  The  church  prospered  under  the  min- 
istry of  the  Houston  brothers,  so  that  the  place  of  meeting 
was  changed  to  the  courthouse  to  accommodate  the  crowds 
of  people.  The  first  elders  were  John  Powell,  Henry  Hill 
and  James  W.  Perry.  Mrs.  D.  J.  Lyon  is  the  sole  surviving 
charter  member. 

Mr.  Newell  was  a  schoolteacher  and  at  the  same  time  a 
minister  in  charge  of  the  church.  During  his  pastorate  an 
agreement  was  made  between  the  Disciples  and  the  Christian 
Denomination  to  erect  a  union  house  of  worship.  It  was  a 
brick  building  without  any  claims  to  architectural  beauty. 
However,  it  was  honored  by  the  presence  of  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, who  delivered  an  address  therein.  After  five  years  the 
legal  title  was  passed  to  the  church  of  Christ  exclusively,  and 
later  to  Mr.  Powell.  *'The  organ  question"  came  up ;  the 
congregation   became   financially   involved   and   disbanded. 

Quite  a  few  drifted  into  other  fellowships.  But  during 
all  the  years  of  spiritual  ruin,  eight  or  ten  constituted  a  faith- 
ful band  and  met  when  and  where  they  could  to  pray  and 
remember  the  Lord  in  his  appointments. 

In  1873,  Min.  J.  G.  Waggoner  reorganized  the  church, 
since  which  it  has  gone  steadily  forward  in  usefulness. 
Charles  Rowe  became  the  first  pastor.  He  was  followed  by 
students  from  Eureka.  Meanwhile  the  women  of  the  church 
bought  the  church  property  from  the  estate  of  Mr.  Powell. 
The  State  Board  fostered  the  reviving  congregation.  During 
the  pastorate  of  G.  W.  McColley  a  new  lot  was  bought  and 
a  modern  church  structure  was  erected  in   1904. 

During  the  days  of  tribulation,  Washington  Houston  con- 
ducted a  public  discussion  in  the  old  AI.  E.  chapel  with  a 
representative  of  that  denomination. 

The  church  is  now  vigorous  and  prosperous — aggressive 
in  all  good  works.  It  is  a  living  link  in  the  Eureka  College. 
B.  W.  Tate  is  its  efficient  pastor. 


264  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

It  has  given  to  the  ministry  Charles  Scrivens,  L.  F.  Star- 
buck,  Frank  Cummings  and  M.  L.  Bodine. 

Saunemin, 

Organized  1874,  by  W.  P.  Carrithers;  present  member- 
ship, 139;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $5,000; 
Bible  school  began  1874;  present  enrollment,  42. 

The  organization  was  formed  in  the  Bethel  Schoolhouse. 
Then  it  met  for  worship  in  a  hall  in  the  village.  The  first 
chapel  was  built  in  1887  at  a  cost  of  $2,000.  This  was 
burned  in  1904.  The  same  year  a  much  better  house  was 
built,  and  also  a  parsonage. 

The  congregation  has  passed  many  vicissitudes.  Deaths 
and  removals  have  greatly  reduced  the  membership  in  late 
years. 

W.  P.  Carrithers  has  long  been  the  mainstay  in  the 
church.  The  other  two  elders  are  George  Moulds  and  S.  D. 
Vawter.  The  deacons  are  Robert  Williams,  John  Farr,  W. 
S.  Rustin,  C.  L.  Farner  and  Mona  Fieldcamp. 

H.  C.  Reichel  preaches  half-time. 

LOGAN    COUNTY. 

It  is  a  source  of  regret  that  no  written  records  have  been 
left  of  the  first  work  of  the  preachers  of  the  Disciples  of 
Christ  in  Logan  County.  Without  doubt  there  was  preach- 
ing at  a  number  of  places  in  the  thirties  and  forties  by  W.  P. 
Bowles  and  his  father  (Hughes  Bowles),  by  John  England, 
W^m.  Ryan,  A.  J.  Kane  and  others. 

The  first  church  of  Christ,  so  far  as  discovered,  was 
formed  about  1848.  It  was  located  seven  miles  west  of  Mt. 
Pulaski,  on  the  Springfield  road.  It  was  known  as  the 
Bridge  Church  because  it  stood  near  the  bridge  that  spanned 
the  stream  called  Lake  Fork.  It  was  probably  organized  by 
Father  Morrow.  At  least,  he  preached  there  for  years. 
Residing  on  his  farm,  it  was  his  custom  to  come  from  his 
home  to  the  meeting-house,  riding  a  mule,  with  a  sheepskin 
saddle   and   saddlebags.     This   congregation  continued   until 


CHURCHES  265 

about  1860.  Then  those  members  who  Uved  on  the  west  of 
the  lake  formed  a  congregation  known  as  the  Turley  Church 
and  built  a  small  chapel  four  miles  north  of  the  site  of  Corn- 
land.  Those  residing  east  of  the  lake  formed  a  congregation 
known  as  the  Buckles  Church  and  built  a  meeting-house  two 
miles  east  of  the  old  church  and  five  miles  west  of  Mt. 
Pulaski.  This  congregation  continued  to  be  an  active  Chris- 
tian force  until  1905.  Then  some  of  its  members  went  to  Mt. 
Pulaski  and  some  to  the  Lake  Fork  congregation.  The 
chapel  was  moved  to  the  Carlisle  Cemetery,  where  it  still 
stands. 

In  the  forties  there  was  some  preaching  by  Christian 
ministers  and  some  conversions  at  French's  ford,  on  Salt 
Creek,  south  of  Lincoln,  but  whether  a  congregation  was 
formed,  could  not  be  learned. 

In  late  years  a  congregation  was  formed  at  Lawndale, 
but  it  has  become  extinct. 

Armington. 

Organized  1828,  by  William  Miller;  present  membership, 
222;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $17,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  300. 

Hittle's  Grove  and  the  prairies  round  about  it  were  as 
pleasing  as  any  upon  which  human  eyes  ever  rested.  Into 
that  locality,  eighty-five  years  ago,  the  following  named  fami- 
Hes  began  to  settle:  the  Hittles  and  Judys  from  Ohio;  the 
Albrights  from  Tennessee ;  the  Burts,  Quisenberrys,  Hain- 
lines.  Dills  and  Millers  from  Kentucky,  and  the  Hieronymuses 
from  Virginia. 

The  first  sermon  ever  preached  in  Hittle's  Grove  was  by 
a  Methodist  minister  named  Walker,  in  a  log  cabin  16x16, 
owned  by  Michael  Hittle. 

After  a  time  two  women  of  the  settlement  wished  to  be 
baptized  and  a  Baptist  minister  was  sent  for.  Finding  no 
church  there  to  vote  on  the  fitness  of  the  candidates,  after 
deliberation  it  was  decided  to  immerse  them  on  the  simple 
confession   of  their   faith   in   Christ.     Thereupon,   a   Baptist 


266  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

church  was  organized  with  the  following  charter  members: 
William  Miller  and  wife,  Isaac  Miller  and  wife,  Walker 
Miller  and  wife,  and  Sarah  Miller. 

On  Jan.  11,  1829,  this  church  became  Christian  only.  The 
agreement  signed  with  the  seventeen  names  follows : 

We,  the  undersigned,  do  give  ourselves  to  the  Lord  and  to  each 
other  as  a  church  of  Jesus  Christ  to  be  governed  by  His  word  con- 
tained in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  V\  illiam  Miller  and  wife, 
Jacob  Albright  and  wife  Esther,  Strother  Hittle  and  wife,  Robert 
Musick  and  wife,  William  Darnell  and  wife  Sally,  William  Burt  and 
wife  China,  Joseph  Lancaster  and  wife  Hannah,  John  Judy  and  wife 
Christena,  Jacob  Judy  unmarried. 

These  people  met  for  public  worship  for  a  short  time  in 
their  log-cabin  homes,  then  used  the  log  schoolhouse ;  later 
a  church  was  built  three  miles  west  of  the  site  of  Armington. 
This  served  till  1865,  when  a  more  commodious  house  was 
built,  one  and  a  fourth  miles  west  of  Armington.  In  1886, 
during  the  pastorate  of  John  T.  Ow^ens,  lots  were  bought  in 
the  village  of  Armington  and  the  building  moved  to  them. 
From  this  time  the  congregation  was  called  by  the  name  of 
the  town.  The  last  Lord's  Day  in  August,  1906,  the  people 
bade  a  tender  farewell  to  the  old  house ;  on  the  next  Sunday 
they  moved  into  their  new  and  modern  brick  structure.     J. 

C.  Lappin  was  their  pastor. 

Hittle  Grove  Church  was  a  familiar  name  to  all  the  old- 
time  Disciples  in  central  Hlinois  for  a  period  of  sixty-five 
years.  Most  of  the  pioneers  preached  there.  In  the  thirties 
there  were  James  Mitchell  and  Abner  Peeler;  in  the  forties, 
W.  P.  Bowles  and  G.  W.  Minier ;  then  later  Samuel  Knight, 
James  A.  and  John  Lindsey,  William  Davenport,  Leroy 
Skelton,  Baily  Chaplain,  Samuel  and  Joseph  Lowe,  L.  M. 
Robinson,  and  Isaac  and  Elijah  Stout.  In  recent  years  the 
pastors  have  been  Mr.  Edwards,  Albert  Nichols,  J.  E.  Diehl, 
Mr.  Jennette,  E.  J.  Stanley,  C.  A.  Meckel,  J.  E.  Parker,  W. 

D.  Deweese,  L.  E.  Chase,  J.  C.  Lappin,  and  now  R.  B.  Doan. 
In  1857  the  church  made  the  following  report  to  the  State 

meeting:  "Members,  136;  meet  twice  a  month;  we  break  the 


CHURCHES  267 

loaf  once  a  month  and  have  preaching  once  a  month.     We 
pay  teaching  brethren  $2  a  day." 

The  Britt,  Burt,  Albright,  Judy,  Darnell,  Hieronymus  and 
Mason  families  have  done  much  for  the  church. 

Atlanta. 

Organized  1855,  by  George  W.  Minier ;  present  member- 
ship, 300;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $14,000; 
Bible  school  began  1856;  present  enrollment,  302. 

This  church  was  organized  in  the  Baptist  chapel,  where 
meetings  were  held  Lord's  Day  afternoons  the  first  year. 
The  first  elders  were  C.  F.  Ewing  and  Andrew  Wright;  the 
first  deacons,  Jacob  Judy  and  Jefferson  Howser ;  James 
Shores,  clerk.  The  additional  twenty-five  charter  members 
were  the  following:  J.  P.  Hawes  and  wife,  Jefferson  Britt 
and  wife,  T.  H.  Dills  and  wife,  Ambrose  Hall  and  wife,  John 
Miller  and  wife,  Calvin  Riley  and  wife,  George  Dyer  and 
wife.  Dr.  Arterburn  and  wife,  Mrs.  Dr.  J.  B.  Tenney,  Mrs. 
Sallie  Strong,   Mr.  Gill  and  Mrs.   Christenson. 

At  Atlanta  the  Disciples  were  publicly  depreciated  in  the 
early  years  by  the  self-styled  orthodox  people,  as  they  were 
in  most  places.  It  was  a  town  where  infidelity  ran  riotously. 
But  after  the  Burgess-Burrows  debate  in  1868,  many  phases 
of  religion  changed. 

The  first  pastor  of  the  church  was  W.  M.  Guilford,  who 
was  at  the  same  time  principal  of  the  public  schools.  Those 
who  succeeded  him  were  John  Lindsay,  W.  P.  Bowles,  R.  B. 
Chaplin,  J.  W.  Monser,  Leroy  Skelton,  Samuel  and  Joseph 
Lowe,  J.  A.  Seaton,  T.  V.  Berrv,  T.  T.  Holton,  R.  D.  Cotton, 
R.  W.  Callaway,  Dr.  S.  H.  Bundy,  L.  M.  Robinson.  B.  O. 
Aylesworth,  L.  G.  Thompson,  J.  P.  Davis,  Mr.  Miller,  C.  E. 
Selby,  R.  F.  Thrapp,  T.  B.  Stanley,  L.  W.  Morgan,  S.  S. 
Lappin,  W.  R.  Jinnett,  Ivan  W.  Magee,  and  now  R.  H. 
Newton. 

The  first  church  buildinof  was  erected  in  1856.  A  modern 
building  was  occupied  in  1913. 

This  church  has  given  to  the  ministry  J.  H.  Wright,  Wal- 


268  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

ter  Rhodes,  Roy  A.  Miller  and  Merritt  Hoblit,  a  missionary 
in  Mexico. 

Bethel  (Emden). 

Organized  1853,  by  William  B.  Ryan ;  present  member- 
ship, 105;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began 
1853 ;  present  en/ollment,  75. 

This  congregation,  located  four  and  one-half  miles  east 
of  Emden,  grew  out  of  the  old  Sugar  Creek  Church.  A  few 
members,  desiring  a  more  convenient  place  for  their  public 
worship,  selected  the  site,  which  was  given  by  one  of  the 
number,  Norman  Sumner.  There  were  nineteen  charter 
members,  as  follows:  William  B.  and  Elizabeth  Ryan,  Wil- 
liam R.  and  Elizabeth  Shirley,  Samuel  and  Jemima  Waters, 
Jeremiah  and  Sarah  A.  Miller,  Norman  and  Margaret  Sum- 
ner, George  G.  and  Melville  Ryan,  Jesse  P.  and  Marial 
Bowles,  David  and  Elizabeth  Bowles,  James  W.  and  Henry 
Shirley,  and  Nancy  Bevans,  who  married  John  Lumbeck.  Of 
these,  only  three  survive — Sarah  A.  Miller,  and  James  W.  and 
Henry  Shirley.  The  names  of  the  other  sixteen  are  read  on 
the  marble  slabs  in  the  four  cemeteries  located  in  two  States. 

The  first  officers  were :  Elders,  David  Bowles  and  William 
R.  Shirley;  deacons,  George  G.  Ryan  and  Jeremiah  Miller; 
clerk,  Norman  Sumner,  with  two  trustees.  The  Christian 
faith  of  the  Bowles  and  Shirley  families  has  been  so  excellent 
that  some  of  their  members  have  filled  the  office  of  elder 
during  the  sixty  years  of  the  church's  life. 

The  first  house  was  built  in  1853.  The  men  went  to  the 
forest,  felled  the  trees,  cut  and  hauled  the  logs  together,  and, 
with  broadax,  foot-adz  and  such  other  tools  as  they  had, 
fashioned  and  built  this  first  temple  for  the  T^rd.  For  a 
period  of  twenty  years  this  house  was  the  happy  home  of  its 
builders  and  their  children.  In  1873  it  gave  place  to  the 
structure  that  is  still  in  use. 

In  addition  to  Mr.  Ryan's,  the  old  house  heard  the  voices 
of  Benjamin  Franklin,  G.  W.  Minier,  W.  P.  Bowles,  Dudley 
Downs,   R.   B.   Chaplin,   Leroy   Skelton,   Isaac   Stout,   Peter 


CHURCHES  269 

Hawes,  James  Mitchell,  Charles  Short,  Peter  Sheik,  J.  A. 
Seaton,  R.  D.  Cotton,  J.  V.  Beekinan,  Samuel  Knight,  Henry 
Smithers,  S.  C.  Pruitt  and  many  others.  In  addition  to  many 
of  those  who  also  ministered  to  the  congregation  in  the  new 
house,  the  following  have  served  there:  L.  M.  Robinson,  T. 
T.  Holton,  G.  W.  Warner,  H.  S.  Mavity,  J.  C.  Hall,  J.  W. 
Porter,  J.  E.  Jewett,  J.  A.  Barnett,  I.  L.  Parvin,  H.  B.  East- 
erling,  F.  B.  Jones  and  R.  E.  Stevenson. 

This  church  has  always  been  noted  for  the  good  common 
sense  of  its  members.  The  spirit  of  brotherliness  has  always 
predominated.  The  people  delighted  to  make  others  happy. 
In  the  period  of  the  old  house,  families  came  to  church  in 
farm-wagons,  seated  with  chairs  which  were  carried  into  the 
house  and  used  on  occasion.  The  blankets  and  comforters 
which  were  used  as  wraps  to  protect  from  cold  or  rain  were 
brought  in  at  night  and  made  into  beds  on  seats  or  in  a  cor- 
ner on  the  floor,  and  there  the  little  ones  slept  during  the 
worship.  This  church  is  proud  of  the  fact  that  it  is  a  country 
church.  Its  watchwords  through  sixty  years  have  been, 
''Move  Forward."  Many  of  its  members  have  gone  out  to 
help  in  the  Lord's  work  in  the  world.  R.  E.  Hieronymus 
began  his  Christian  service  here,  and  W.  H.  Kindred  and 
Frank  Sumner  are  in  the  ministry. 

The  old  songs  were  an  inspiration,  as  they  are  yet  a  tender 
memory  with  many. 

C.  R.  Bowles  has  served  as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school  for  thirty  years.  In  the  earlier  time  children  were 
encouraged  to  commit  the  Scriptures  to  memory  and  repeat 
them  on  Sundays.  Many  now  past  life's  meridian  can  repeat 
whole  chapters  learned  in  childhood  there. 

Through  sixty  years  the  table  of  the  Lord  has  been 
spread  on  every  first  day  of  the  week.  Preaching  is  main- 
tained for  half-time.  The  church  is  alive  to  all  missionary 
activities.  It  has  no  other  thought  than  to  live  by  doing 
the  will  of  God.  The  glorious  memories  of  the  past  unite 
with  the  duties  of  the  present  in  filling  these  people  with 
high  purposes. 


270  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Broadzvell. 

Organized  1863,  by  C.  J.  Berry;  present  membership,  99; 
value  of  property,  $1,600;  Bible  school  began  1863;  present 
enrollment,  56. 

This  church  was  formed  in  the  public-school  house  with 
the  following  charter  members :  Samuel  Buckley,  Spencer 
Grogan,  Jacob  Eisminger,  P.  Eisminger,  Elizabeth  Eisminger, 
Mary  Eisminger,  Eliza  Lloyd,  Nancy  Kline,  Ellen  Kline,  May 
Critchfield,  AI.  Wiley,  L.  \\'iley  and  M.  Wright.  These  per- 
sons organized  as  ''The  Church  of  Christ  at  Broadwell,"  upon 
the  Bible  as  their  creed  and  the  New  Testament  as  their 
only  discipline.  They  "vowed  before  the  Lord,  angels  and 
men  to  walk  in  obedience  to  the  requirements  of  the  gospel 
in  all  things." 

The  church  was  built  in  1864. 

Copeland  (Mt.  Pulaski). 

Organized  1866,  by  John  England;  present  membership, 
100;  value  of  property,  $4,000;  Bible  school  began  1868; 
present  enrollment,   125. 

This  church  is  located  seven  miles  southwest  of  Mt. 
Pulaski.  It  was  organized  at  the  Copeland  Schoolhouse. 
The  charter  members  were  Mr.  and  Airs.  Samuel  Harbert, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  Birks,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Birks,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  William  Copeland,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roland  Birks,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Abner  Copeland,  Polly  Peters,  George  W.  White- 
sides  and  Alaria  Copeland. 

The  church  house  was  built  in  1867.  An  addition  and 
repairs  were  made  in  1906  at  a  cost  of  $400.  It  was  mod- 
ernized in  1911  at  a  cost  of  $2,500. 

The  congregation  has  been  a  leading  force  for  good  in 
the  neighborhood  there  many  years. 

The  present  officers  are :  Elders,  Elmer  Turley,  Charles 
Bowers,  Calvin  Payne  and  J.  H.  Clendenen ;  deacons,  George 
Bowers,  Fred  Bellatti,  Stephen  Edwards,  R.  Drabing  and 
W.  E.  Simpson. 


CHURCHES  271 

Cornland. 

Organized  1874,  by  D.  D.  Miller;  present  membership, 
120;  value  of  property,  $1,350;  Bible  school  began  1875; 
present  enrollment,  72. 

A  few  years  prior  to  the  formation  of  the  Cornland 
Church  a  congregation  had  been  formed,  and  a  small  house 
erected  four  miles  north  of  the  town  site,  called  the  Turley 
Church. 

A  series  of  meetings  was  held  in  the  Day  Schoolhouse  in 
the  village  by  D.  D.  Miller  in  1874,  which  resulted  in  the 
formation  of  the  church  there.  Of  this  the  congregation 
four  miles  north  became  a  part,  and  that  building  was  moved 
into  town.  The  congregation  was  much  strengthened  by  a 
series  of  meetings  conducted  by  Min.  J.  E.  Cain  in  1875. 
Many  removals  have  reduced  their  numbers. 

Em  den. 

Organized  1888,  by  W.  H.  Boles;  present  membership, 
94;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1873; 
present  enrollment,  70. 

A  union  Sunday  school  was  formed  in  the  public-school 
house  in  1873  with  E.  L.  Carnahan  as  superintendent.  Three 
years  thereafter  gospel  temperance  meetings  began  to  be  held 
there  on  Sunday  evening.  Next  came  some  sermons  at  the 
same  time  and  place  by  G.  W.  Minier  and  R.  B.  Chaplin. 
A  three  weeks'  m.eeting  conducted  by  Evangelist  Boles 
resulted  in  the  organization  of  the  church  with  fifty-three 
members. 

The  house  of  worship  was  completed  in  1889  and  the 
organization  perfected.     Later  an  addition  was  built. 

The  honored  names  in  the  congregation  include  Mr.  J. 
L.  Searle,  Mrs.  Lizzie  Bennett  and  ]\Irs.  Betsy  Sumner. 

Eminen  ce   ( Atlanta  ) . 

Organized  1838,  by  its  own  members;  present  member- 
ship, 180;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began 
1845 ;  present  enrollment,  62. 


272  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

This  is  a  country  church,  located  five  miles  northwest  of 
Atlanta.  It  has  been  known  by  three  or  four  local  names. 
The  first  building  was  at  Pekin  Ford,  near  Morgan's  Mill; 
hence  it  was  first  known  as  Morgan's  Church.  Later  moved 
to  the  present  site,  where  it  was  known  as  Smith  Ewing  or 
Sugar  Creek  Church ;  the  latter  name,  however,  held  through 
the  larger  part  of  the  seventy-five  years  of  its  life.  In  recent 
years  it  has  been  known  by  the  name  of  the  township  in 
which  it  is  located. 

The  first  record  reads  as  follows: 

On  Lord's  Day,  June  17,  1838,  the  Brothers  and  Sisters  whose 
respective  names  are  hereafter  annexed,  do  agree  to  live  together  in 
Gospel  order,  as  a  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  take  the  Word  of 
God  as  the  rule  of  faith  and  man  of  our  council.  The  following  are 
the  names  of  the  members  who  joined  themselves  together  on  the 
day  above  named:  Robert  Musick,  Charles  F.  Ewing,  Mary  Ewing, 
Elizabeth  Simmonds,  Sarah  Miller,  Sarah  Stroud,  James  Hieronymus, 
Barbary  Johnson,  Melinda  Johnson,  Catherine  Thompson,  Esther  A. 
Hawes,  Sarah  Hawes. 

This  was  a  spontaneous  organization,  originating  among 
and  completed  by  the  members  themselves.  Lord's  Day, 
Aug.  25,  1839,  the  elders  elected  were  Charles  F.  Ewing  and 
David  G.  Thompson,  who  were  ordained  on  Lord's  Day,  the 
15th  of  the  following  month.  The  records  give  the  names 
of  those  who  have  served  the  congregation  as  elders  from 
that  day  to  the  present  time. 

Until  1845  the  congregation  met  for  worship  where  they 
could.  In  that  year  the  first  house  was  built,  costing  $1,000. 
This  served  eleven  years  and  was  then  torn  down.  In  1856 
the  second  house,  costing  $1,600,  was  erected.  After  being 
used  for  thirty-five  years  it  was  sold.  In  1891  the  third 
building,  costing  $3,600,  was  occupied.  This  was  burned  in 
1901.  The  same  year  the  present  building,  costing  $6,000, 
was  erected.     It  has  a  bell,  a  baptistery  and  gasoline  lights. 

Among  the  preachers  of  the  earlier  years  there  were 
Abner  Peeler,  Hughes  and  W.  P.  Bowles,  William  Daven- 
port, James  A,  Lindsey,  John  England,  G.  W.  Minier, 
William  Ryan,  Baily  Chaplain,  L.  M.  Robinson,  John  Lind- 


CHURCHES  273 

sey,  Isaac  Stout,  Leroy  Skelton,  Samuel  and  Joseph  Lowe, 
J.  V.  Beekman  and  T.  T.  Holton.  Alexander  Campbell 
visited  the  church  in  1844. 

The  records  show  that  the  church  has  ordained  the  fol- 
lowing men  to  the  ministry:  William  Ryan,  George  Hatfield 
and  George  Carlock. 

The  church  now  has  a  resident  minister  for  all  the  time 
and  is  flourishing.  Sarah  A.  Miller,  the  only  living  charter 
member,  resides  in  Atlanta.  Elizabeth  Howser,  who  united 
with  the  church  the  next  day  after  its  formation,  also  sur- 
vives at  the  age  of  ninety- four. 

In  the  early  days,  when  harness  for  horses  came  into  use, 
with  lines  to  drive  with,  a  member  of  this  congregation 
bought  a  set.  Not  knowing  how  to  attach  the  lines  properly, 
he  hitched  his  team  to  the  wagon  one  Sunday  morning, 
placed  his  wife  and  children  in  the  wagon,  then  mounted  one 
of  the  horses  and  thus  took  his  family  to  church  and  home 
again.  His  "style"  attracted  no  particular  attention  and 
called  out  no  comments. 

One  of  the  laymen  produced  by  this  church  is  responsible 
for  the  following: 

Business  in  Religion  and  Religion  in  Business. 

Before  national  banks  were  organized  we  had  private  or  State 
banks  issuing  currency,  or  paper  money,  as  in  the  fifties.  I  saw  names 
of  private  parties  placed  on  the  backs  of  such  bills  with  the  dates ; 
so  if  they  failed  to  pass  they  could  be  returned  to  those  from  whom 
they  were  received  as  "no  good."  Now  we  have  currency  good  in 
any  and  all  States.  If  that  currency  is  best  that  is  good  in  all  the 
States,  then  that  baptism  is  best  that  is  good  in  all  the  churches,  and 
we  all  know  that  immersion  is  good  in  all  the  churches. 

The  following  incident  deserves  to  be  rescued  from 
oblivion.  This  picture  is  from  the  pleasing  pen  of  Alin.  T. 
T.  Holton.     He  says  : 

In  1889  G.  \V.  Minier  called  me  to  assist  him  in  a  meeting  at  the 
Sugar  Creek  Church.  He  was  then  in  his  seventy-sixth  year.  He 
said  to  me,  "Bro.  Holton,  you  do  the  preaching  and  I'll  do  the  bap- 
tizing." This  was  a  very  successful  meeting.  There  were  forty-three 
added  to  the  church — thirty-eight  by  confession  and  baptism.     When 


274  HISTORY    OF   THE    DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

we  went  to  select  a  place  for  baptism  we  found  Sugar  Creek  too  scant 
of  water.  We  crossed  the  creek  and  found  a  beautiful  little  lake.  The 
venerable  Peter  Bruner,  who  had  been  an  elder  in  the  church  for 
a  long  time,  was  with  us.  He  had  done  the  baptizing  for  the  church 
for  many  years,  but  had  become  too  frail  for  the  task.  While  the 
good  elder  and  I  were  looking  for  a  pole  to  test  the  depth  of  the 
water,  we  heard  a  splash  and,  turning  suddenly,  we  saw  Bro.  Minier 
swimming  around  in  the  lake.  It  was  late  in  October  and  there  had 
been  two  cold  spells  that  froze  ice.  Bro.  Minier  was  not  afraid  of 
water.  It  was  his  custom  to  bathe  every  morning,  sometimes  of  neces- 
sity at  great  inconvenience.  He  thoroughly  explored  the  lake  and 
marked  a  good  place  for  the  baptism.  He  had  secreted  a  towel  in 
his  pocket,  and,  having  thoroughly  dried  and  reclothed  himself,  said, 
"Brethren,  now  for  the  'Wolf's  Den.' "  This  took  us  up  quite  a 
steep  high  hill,  Bro.  Minier  in  the  lead.  From  the  "Wolf's  Den" 
we  viewed  the  landscape.  Then  Bro.  Minier  set  about  gathering  some 
botanical  specimens.  As  we  returned  to  the  Bruner  home,  at  his  sug- 
gestion we  visited  the  Eminence  school.  Of  course  Bro.  Minier  was 
asked  to  address  the  school.  The  plants  he  held  in  his  hand  he  made 
his  text.  He  gave  their  common  names,  also  their  botanical  names, 
and  descanted  on  the  leaves,  the  bark,  the  roots,  the  sap,  fruit,  etc.,  to 
the  delight  of  the  whole  school.  When  the  day  of  the  baptism  came,  an 
urgent  matrimonial  engagement  called  him,  so  I  had  to  do  the  bap- 
tizing. It  was  the  most  beautiful  scene  I  ever  saw.  The  lake  was 
surrounded  by  sugar  maples  and  the  leaves  were  like  gold.  It  was 
a  beautiful  afternoon  and  the  great  crowd  of  people  gathered  there 
was  quiet  and  reverent.  The  sloping  ground  gave  all  an  opportunity 
to  see  and  hear.  I  gave  an  invitation  at  the  water's  edge.  A  young 
lady  came  forward.  Her  mother  approached  and  whispered  to  me, 
"My  daughter  is  deaf  and  dumb.  She  is  educated  and  I  think  she 
understands  the  step  she  desires  to  take."  This  was  the  first  experience 
I  had  ever  had  in  introducing  a  deaf  mute  into  the  kingdom.  I  took 
a  blank  book  and  pencil  from  my  side  pocket  and  wrote,  "Do  you 
believe  with  all  your  heart  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God?" 
In  response  she  took  the  pencil  and  wrote,  "I  do,"    And  I  baptized  her. 

Hartsburg. 

Organized  1870;  present  membership,  29;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $600;  Bible  school  began  1870;  present  enrollment,  48. 

The  early  records  of  the  church  were  lost.  A  few  Disci- 
ples living  in  the  country  near  the  village  began  meetings 
for  public  worship.  Later  a  building  was  erected  on  the 
farm  of  Henry  Musick.  Within  four  or  five  years  nearly 
all  of  the  original  members    moved    away,    some    to    other 


CHURCHES  275 

States.     In    1875,   under   the   lead  of   Fielding   Musick,   the 
chapel  was  moved  to  Hartsburg,  where  it  is  yet  used. 

Lake  Fork. 

Organized  1905,  by  J.  D.  Williams ;  present  membership, 
100;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $3,200;  Bible 
school  began  1905 ;  present  enrollment,  100. 

This  congregation  is  the  product  and  continuance  of  the 
Buckles  Church.  The  village  grew  up  after  the  railroad  was 
built. 

The  chapel  was  built  in  1903. 

Besides  Minister  Williams,  the  congregation  has  been 
served  by  M.  M.  Snow,  D.  H.  Carrick  and  M.  M.  Hughes. 

The  officers  are  Henry  Horn  and  W.  L.  Folhs,  elders, 
with  C.  M.  Shinn,  Wm.  Tebus,  Galveston  Thuer,  E.  R. 
Jones  and  Obid  Gafifney,  deacons. 

Latham. 

Organized  1891,  by  J.  O.  Sutherland;  present  member- 
ship, 250;  value  of  property,  $15,000;  Bible  school  began 
1891  ;  present  enrollment,  113. 

The  church  was  the  first  result  of  a  series  of  meetings 
conducted  by  Minister  Sutherland.  He  also  served  the  con- 
gregation two  terms  as  its  pastor.  Those  who  succeeded  him 
were  G.  W.  Hughes,  Mr.  Weatherford,  Z.  M.  Brubeck,  C. 
S.  Weaver,  D.  A.  Lindsey,  and  now  Ira  A.  Engle. 

The  first  chapel  was  built  during  the  ministry  of  Mr. 
Sutherland  and  occupied  early  in  1892.  The  present  excel- 
lent modern  structure  was  erected  during  the  pastorate  of 
Mr.  Weaver.     It  cost  $13,325,  and  was  finished  in  1910. 

This  church  is  largely  rural.  Its  auxiliaries  are  large  and 
active.     In  1912  it  paid  $325  for  general  benevolences. 

Lincoln. 

Organized  1856,  by  W.  H.  Brown;  present  membership, 
695;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $29,000;  Bible 
school  began  1856 ;  present  enrollment,  370. 


276         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

John  England  and  Walter  P.  Bowles  preached  the  primi- 
tive gospel  in  various  parts  of  Logan  County  in  the  forties 
and  early  fifties.  One  place  they  visited  was  French's  Ford, 
on  Salt  Creek,  about  four  miles  south  of  Lincoln.  Among 
those  who  became  Christians  was  Miss  Sarah  Wade,  who 
married  Fred  Wolf.  When  the  town  of  Lincoln  was 
started,  Mr.  Wolf,  with  others,  moved  there.  He  has  fur- 
nished these  facts.  He  was  born  in  183 L  Thomas  H. 
Denny  had  bought  a  farm  near  Lincoln  and  settled  on  it. 
Being  a  Disciple,  he  sent  for  Evangelist  ''Billy  Brown,"  who 
held  a  series  of  meetings  and  constituted  a  church.  There 
were  about  thirty  charter  members,  Mrs.  Wolf  being  one  of 
these.  The  first  officers  were  T.  H.  Denny  and  Hopkins  C. 
Judy,  elders,  and  Charles  H.  Miller  and  John  M.  Edwards, 
deacons. 

Meetings  for  public  worship  were  held  in  Boren's  Flail, 
in  a  warehouse  and  other  places.  In  1854  they  set  to  build 
a  chapel  that  was  finished  the  next  year.  After  its  enclosure 
it  required  a  struggle  of  years  to  pay  for  it.  The  Circuit 
Court  was  held  in  this  building  in  1856,  as  the  courthouse 
had  burned  just  before  that  time.  The  present  modern 
edifice  was  erected  in  1903-04,  during  the  pastorate  of  W. 
H.  Cannon. 

Other  ministers  include  Dr.  J.  M.  Allen,  J.  S.  Sweeney, 
Alexander  Johnson,  Allen  H.  Rice,  Charles  L.  Berry,  George 
Owen,  B.  W.  and  N.  H.  Johnson,  T.  V.  Berry,  H.  D.  Clark, 
G.  W.  Minier,  S.  C.  Humphrey,  R.  A.  Gilcrist,  Jesse 
Gresham,  Dr.  S.  H.  Bundv,  T.  T.  Holton,  W.  H.  Cannon, 
J.  E.  Jewett,  T.  F.  Weaver,  Albert  Nichols,  E.  A.  GilHland 
and  G.  W.  Wise. 

Among  those  who  did  much  for  the  church  were  John  A. 
Simpson,  R.  C.  Maxwell,  H.  O.  Merry  and  L.  P.  Hanger; 
they  merit  remembrance.  Three  charter  members  are  still 
living— Mrs.  B.  F.  Warfield,  Mrs.  Wielan  Ryan  and  Mrs. 
Ellen  Chowning. 

Not  many  years  since  the  church  "had  a  revival"  that  is 
said  to  have  been  a  distinct  injury. 


CHURCHES  277 

Mt.  Pulaski. 

Organized  1868,  by  D.  D.  Miller;  present  membership, 
361;  value  of  property,  $9,000;  Bible  school  began  1868; 
present  enrollment,  271. 

Min.  D.  D.  Miller  conducted  a  series  of  meetings  in  a 
public  hall  on  the  west  side  of  the  public  square  in  the  fail 
of  1868.  This  resulted  in  ^he  organization  of  the  church,  in 
the  following  spring,  of  thirty  members.  Of  these  only  two 
are  left  living — Mrs.  Caroline  Snyder  and  Mrs.  Amanda 
Prompelly,  who  have  continued  faithfully.  The  first  elders 
were  Alfred  Samms  and  vSamuel  Turley. 

Through  the  efforts  of  Mrs.  Pomelia  Fisher  and  others, 
a  lot  was  bought  and  a  building,  costing  $2,000,  was  erected 
in  1870.  In  1906,  during  the  pastorate  of  David  A.  Lindsay, 
the  old  building  was  removed  and  its  materials  used  in  the 
construction  of  a  modern  house,  costing  $10,000. 

For  a  number  of  years  the  church  was  without  preach- 
ing and  the  congregation  dwindled,  but  in  1887  a  new  start 
was  made,  since  which  time  the  church  has  gone  steadily 
forward. 

The  pastorate  of  Gilbert  Jones  was  especially  fruitful. 

The  Bible  school  is  front  rank,  while  the  missionary  and 
benevolent  offerings  continue  to  grow. 

m'donough  county. 

In  1832  the  first  Christian  Church  was  organized  in 
McDonough  County  at  a  point  about  one  and  a  half  miles 
north  of  Blandinsville,  known  as  the  Liberty  Christian 
Church.  Here  the  people  of  two  pioneer  settlements  met  to 
worship,  the  one  known  as  the  Jobe  settlement  a  few  miles 
to  the  south,  and  the  other  a  few  miles  to  the  north,  com- 
posed of  a  number  of  families,  among  whom  were  the 
Brightwells,  Bradshaws,  Cyruses  and  Hustons.  In  1842  the 
town  of  Blandinsville  was  laid  out  and  platted.  In  1849 
Liberty  was  abandoned  as  a  meeting-place  and  the  church 
of  Blandinsville  was  organized  by  the  members  of  the  Jobe 


278  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

settlement.     And  about  the  same  time  the  members  of  the 
north  settlement  organized  the  Bedford  Church. 

Blandinsville. 

Organized  1849;  present  membership,  384;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $25,000;  Bible  school  began  1861;  present  enrollment, 
164. 

The  history  of  the  church  at  Blandinsville  is  not  materially 
different  from  others  of  like  environments.  The  following 
have  served  as  preachers  or  pastors:  James  K.  Knox,  Uriah 
Long,  A.  J.  Kane,  James  D.  Eads,  John  Rigdon,  Milton 
Dodge,  James  R.  Ross,  Cornelius  Ades,  Patrick  Murphy, 
Bedford  Murphy,  J.  M.  Martin,  Robert  Lieurance,  J.  H. 
Coffee,  S.  K.  Hallam,  H.  R.  Trickett,  J.  F.  Leek,  T.  H. 
Goodnight,  G.  F.  Adams,  M.  P.  Hay  den,  J.  Carroll  Stark, 
George  W.  Ross,  William  Sumpter,  J.  S.  Clements,  W.  A. 
Malone,  Clarence  Townley,  Edward  Richev,  A.  M.  Hale,  M. 
C.  R.  Wolford  and  D.  J.  Elsla. 

The  third  house  of  worship  was  finished  in  1911.  It  is 
a  modern  and  beautiful  structure  with  a  seating  capacity  of 
eight  hundred.  The  congregation  has  held  many  admirable 
people  in  its  membership.  It  has  given  Allen  Hitch  and  \Vm. 
Enders  to  the  ministry. 

Bushnell. 

Present  membership,  20;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  23. 

Many  efforts  have  been  made  to  establish  a  good  church 
here,  but  without  success. 

Central  ( Blandinsville ) . 

Present  membership,  50;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  60. 

Colchester. 

Organized  1867,  by  Cornelius  Ades ;  present  membership, 
190;  value  of  property,  $8,000;  Bible  school  began  1867; 
present  enrollment,  140. 


CHURCHES  279 

The  church  was  formed  in  the  pubHc-school  house.  The 
chapel  was  built  in   1870,   repaired   in    1901    and  burned   in 

1908.  A  new  brick  structure  was  finished  in  1908. 

Colmar. 

Organized  1906,  by  Edward  Stebbins;  present  member- 
ship, 140;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began 
1906;  present  enrollment,  SS. 

Fandon. 

Organized  1898,  by  F.  jM.  Branic ;  present  membership, 
80;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1898;  pres- 
ent enrollment,   108. 

The  church  was  constituted  in  Woodman  Hall  with  forty- 
three  charter  members.  The  chapel  was  first  occupied  in 
1903. 

Macomb. 

Organized  1845,  by  A.  J.  Kane;  present  membership, 
500;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $29,500;  Bible 
school  began  1848 ;  present  enrollment,  427. 

Mr.  Kane  at  that  time  was  a  young  evangelist ;  held  a 
meeting  of  days,  at  the  close  of  which  Dr.  Young  came  and 
assisted  in  perfecting  the  organization.  The  courthouse  was 
the  first  place  of  meeting.  A  small  frame  chapel  was  soon 
built,  which  served  till  1877.  Then  a  second  frame  building 
costing  $4,400.     The  present  modern  edifice   was  erected  in 

1909.  Some  pastors  who  served  the  church  were  Levi 
Hatchett,  W.  W.  Hopkins,  W.  P.  Shockley,  W.  O.  Miller, 
Samuel  Lowe,  J.  C.  Reynolds,  J.  H.  Garrison,  P.  K.  Dibble, 
J.  H.  Smart  and  G.  W.  Mapes  two  periods. 

Those  given  to  the  ministry  were  J.  S.  Gash,  D.  H. 
Shields,  Samuel  G.  Buckner,  Champ  Clark,  G.  W.  Buckner, 
Geo.  L.  Purdy,  Clarence  L.  Tim.mons  and  Abram  E.  Cory, 
a  missionary  in  China.  The  membership  has  always  held 
a  number  of  people  who  were  representative  in  the  com- 
munity and  the  kingdom. 


280  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Alexander  Campbell  visited  the  church  in  his  later  years. 
Mrs.    Margaret   JMartin   is   now    (1913)    the   only    living 
member  who  united  in  the  Kane  meeting. 

Nciif  Philadelphia. 

Present  membership,  86;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  78. 

New  Salem  (Adair). 

Organized  1859,  by  J.  B.  Royal;  value  of  property, 
$2,000;  Bible  school  began  1859. 

The  church  was  formed  in  the  Wetsel  Schoolhouse  with 
sixteen  charter  members,  all  of  whom  have  gone  to  their 
reward.  W.  A.  Griffin  and  Daniel  Wilson  were  the  first 
elders,  with  Josiah  Herlocker  and  Caleb  Hipsley,  deacons. 

The  chapel  was  built  in  1867. 

M.  W.  Crim  is  the  correspondent. 

Old  Bedford  (Stronghurst). 

Organized  1849 ;  present  membership,  125  ;  value  of  prop- 
erty, including  parsonage,  $3,250;  Bible-school  enrollment,  60. 

This  place  is  six  miles  north  of  Blandinsville.  It  is  a 
country  church  that  has  lived  long  and  done  well  for  its 
members  and  the  community. 

Sciota. 

Present  membership,  62;  value  of  property,  $1,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  57. 

m' HENRY   COUNTY. 

North  Crystal  Lake. 

Present  membership,  30;  value  of  property,  Including  par- 
sonage, $2,100;  Bible-school  enrollment,  35. 

In  the  sixties  a  few  congregations  were  formed  in  this 


CHURCHES  281 

county  by  ministers  from  Lake  County.     They  lived  only  a 
few  years. 

m'lean  county. 

Ebenezer  Rhodes  was  born  in  Holland  in  1780.  Coming 
to  America,  he  first  settled  in  Maryland,  thereafter  moved 
to  Ohio,  and  in  1824  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in  Keg's 
Grove,  so  called  because  a  keg  with  some  whisky  in  it  was 
found  there.  Within  a  few  years  the  name  was  changed  to 
Blooming  Grove,  which  it  still  retains.  It  is  five  miles  south 
of  Bloomington.  Mr.  Rhodes  was  a  Baptist  preacher.  He 
preached  whenever  and  wherever  he  could  get  two  or  three 
families  together.  In  those  early  years  he  preached  at 
Hittle's  Grove,  Cheney's  Grove,  Sugar  Grove,  Long  Point, 
Big  Grove,  Twin  Grove,  Dry  Grove,  Blooming  Grove,  at 
the  head  of  the  Mackinaw  and  elsewhere.  He  was  the  first 
preacher  in  McLean  County,  and  is  said  to  have  married  the 
first  couple  in  the  county ;  namely,  Thomas  Orendorff  and 
Miss  Malinda  Walker.  Mr.  Rhodes  organized  the  first 
church  in  the  county.  This  was  in  1824,  in  his  own  house 
in  Blooming  Grove.  There,  so  it  is  said  by  some,  were  seven 
charter  members ;  namely,  Ebenezer  Rhodes  and  wife,  and 
his  sons  (John  H.  S.  and  Samuel  Rhodes)  and  their  wives, 
and  the  other,  it  is  believed,  was  Jeremiah  Rhodes. 

Reuben  Carlock  was  a  native  of  Overton  County,  Tenn. 
He  came  to  Illinois  in  1827,  and  on  October  10  settled  in 
Dry  Grove,  five  miles  southwest  of  the  present  site  of  Car- 
lock.  Mr.  Oarlock's  family  was  the  fifth  to  settle  in  Dry 
Grove.  That  was  then  a  part  of  Tazewell  County.  In  that 
year  the  county-seat  was  located  at  Mackinaw  town.  There 
were  then  five  families  in  Twin  Grove,  seven  families  in 
Stout's  Grove,  three  families  in  Brown's  Grove,  thirteen 
families  in  Keg's  or  Blooming  Grove,  two  families  in  Funk's 
Grove  and  one  family  in  Three  Miles  Grove.  All  of  the  first 
settlers  made  their  homes  along  the  timber.  Indians  were 
then  many  in  this  section.  Old  Town  was  one  of  their 
camps.     It  was  a  strip  of  timber  some  two  miles  wide,  thir- 


282  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

teen  miles  east  of  Bloomirigton.  The  country  was  full  of 
deer,  wild  turkeys,  prairie  chickens  and  pigeons.  These  set- 
tlers traded  at  Springfield  and  Pekin. 

William  Brown  was  a  Christian  preacher  who  came  from 
Tennessee  to  Dry  Grove,  111.,  in  1828.  He  was  a  friend  of 
Reuben  Carlock.  In  August  of  that  year,  Mr.  Carlock 
hitched  up  his  ox  team,  and,  accompanied  by  some  members 
of  his  own  family  and  his  guest,  Preacher  Brown,  drove  to 
the  cabin  of  Ebenezer  Rhodes,  in  Blooming  Grove,  for  a 
three  days'  meeting.  It  was  during  this  meeting  that  the 
Rhodes  and  Carlock  families  were  united  in  one  church. 
Whether  the  organization  above  referred  to  did  not  take 
place  till  this  year,  or  whether  it  was  reorganized  upon 
receiving  the  Carlocks,  is  not  clear.  But  when  these  families 
were  united  in  that  little  church  in  August,  1828,  Ebenezer 
Rhodes,  the  recognized  leader,  said :  "And  now,  brethren,  we 
must  have  some  articles  of  faith." 

Whereupon  Reuben  Carlock,  drawing  a  small  copy  of  the 
New  Testament  from  his  pocket  and  holding  it  up,  said: 
"Bro.  Rhodes,  this  Book  has  all  the  articles  of  faith  we 
need." 

Mr.  Rhodes  at  once  in  full  assurance  answered :  "That 
is  true." 

Then  and  there  a  primitive  and  apostolic  church  of 
Christ  was  born.  From  that  time  Mr.  Rhodes  was  known 
as  a  Christian  minister.  He  continued  to  preach  the  gospel, 
without  the  admixture  of  human  traditions,  till  his  death  in 
1842.  Later  the  members  went  to  other  local  churches. 
Preacher  Brown  returned  to  Tennessee. 

Grassy  Ridge  was  another  fruitful  little  vine  that  served 
its  generation  well  and  then  went  the  v.^ay  of  all  flesh.  It 
was  located  five  miles  south  of  Bloomington,  on  Morris 
Avenue,  and  was  organized  by  Min.  J.  G.  Campbell  in  the 
White  Schoolhouse  in  1853  with  thirteen  charter  members. 
In  1854  a  chapel  was  built  on  a  piece  of  ground  donated  by 
Mr.  Campbell.  The  congregation  grew  and  prospered  and 
did  much  good.     It  was  pervaded  by  the  admirable  spirit  of 


CHURCHES  283 

its  leader,  Mr.  Campbell.  He  saw  to  it  that  many  of  the  fine 
ministers  of  the  Restoration  movement  preached  there.  In 
1886,  by  a  formal  action,  the  church  disbanded,  the  members 
uniting  with  near-by  congregations — Lytleville,  Heyworth, 
Shirley,  Blooming  Grove  and  Bloomington.  Trustees  for 
the  cemetery  were  incorporated  under  the  civil  statute. 

The  Blooming  Grove  Church  was  organized  again  in  1872 
by  State  Evangelist  John  Lindsay  and  County  Evangelist 
W.  G.  Anderson.  In  1862  a  Sunday  school  was  formed  at 
the  Walker  Schoolhouse.  Mrs.  W.  J.  Rhodes  was  superin- 
tendent, and  Mrs.  Amos  Cox,  the  wife  of  a  Presbyterian 
minister,  and  Miss  Sallie  Walker  were  the  teachers.  A 
decade  later  the  church  was  constituted  with  twenty-six  char- 
ter members. 

The  well-to-do  farmers  moved  away,  so  after  a  period 
of  thirty-eight  years  the  church  was  closed  in  November, 
1910.  Most  of  the  members  have  united  with  the  Blooming- 
ton  Church  or  with  the  church  at  Heyworth. 

Anchor. 

Organized  1884,  by  Dr.  A.  W.  Green;  present  member- 
ship, 17;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1884; 
none  at  present. 

Worship  was  first  held  in  the  schoolhouse.  The  old 
Antioch  Church  building  was  moved  to  Anchor  when  its 
membership  was  transferred  to  Colfax.  There  were  thirty- 
seven  charter  members,  but  the  church  has  been  weakened 

by  removals.  .  .,, 

Arrow  smith. 

Organized  1879,  by  H.  G.  Van  Dervoort ;  present  member- 
ship, 142;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $14,250; 
Bible  school  began  1879;  present  enrollment,  134. 

This  church  was  the  immediate  result  of  a  series  of  meet- 
ings conducted  by  Min.  H.  G.  Van  Dervoort  in  the  old  United 
Brethren  chapel.  However,  previous  organizations  in  this 
vicinity  were  also  contributing  factors.  Min,  ]Moses  H. 
Knight,  one  of  the  earlier  evangelists  of  this   county,   and 


284  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

J  G.  Campbell  began  preaching  to  the  people  south  of  Ells- 
worth in  1858.  Later  the  congregation  removed  to  the  West 
log  schoolhouse  and  an  organization  of  eighteen  members 
was  formed  under  the  leadership  of  Russell  Watson.  They 
grew  in  numbers  and  strength  so  that  in  1868  a  frame  build- 
ing was  erected  three  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of 
Arrowsmith,  which  was  known  as  the  Pleasant  Ridge 
Church,  This  house  was  dedicated  by  Uncle  Jimmie  Robeson. 
Later  this  building  was  torn  down  and  the  material  worked 
into  the  Arrowsmith  Church. 

In  1865  a  revival  was  held  in  the  Center  Schoolhouse, 
one-half  mile  south  of  the  site  of  Arrowsmith.  A  small 
organization  was  formed  which  in  1868  united  with  the 
Pleasant  Ridge  Church. 

In  1873,  Evangelist  George  F.  Adams  held  a  series  of 
meetings  in  the  Martin  Valley  United  Brethren  Church. 
These  brethren  were  very  kind  to  the  Disciples  until,  under 
the  preaching  of  Mr.  Adams,  people  began  to  turn  to  the 
Lord ;  then  the  Brethren  turned  him  and  those  working  with 
him  out  of  their  house.  The  Martin  Valley  Church  of 
Christ  was  formed  with  sixty-one  members.  J.  G.  Campbell 
helped  in  this  work.  These  several  local  congregations  came 
into  the  Arrowsmith  Church  at  the  time  of  its  organization. 

This  church  has  a  commendable  pride  in  all  the  Lord's 
work. 

It  has  given  C.  D.  Hougham  to  the  ministry. 

Bellflozver. 

Organized  1891,  by  J.  S.  Clements;  present  membership, 
196;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $12,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  139. 

Pioneer  John  Enorland  preached  the  primitive  gospel  in 
Osman,  a  village  in  the  southeast  corner  of  McLean  County, 
in  1875-76.  At  that  time  a  Sunday  school  was  held  there  in 
the  public-school  house.  In  1877  a  church  of  twelve  mem- 
bers was  formed,  probably  by  John  W.  Snyder.  In  1885  a 
union  church  was  built  to  be  used  one-half  time  each  by  the 


CHURCHES  285 

church  of  Christ  and  the  Protestant  Methodist  congregation. 
In  1886,  J.  H.  GilHland  held  a  successful  revival  there.  But 
so  many  of  the  members  moved  away  that  the  church  dis- 
banded in  1892.  Most  of  those  who  were  left  united  with  the 
church  at  Bellflower. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  McDaniel  led  the  work  that  p'^o- 
duced  this  church.  Min.  J.  S.  Clements  held  a  tent  meeting 
there  in  the  summer  of  1891.  That  fall  a  house  costing 
$3,500  was  built  and  the  church  was  weak.  The  present 
modern  edifice  was  completed  in  1913. 

Bloomington  First. 

Organized  1837,  by  Mr.  William  T.  Major;  present  mem- 
bership, 1,666;  value  of  property,  $47,500;  Bible-school 
enrollment,  601. 

This  church  was  organized  in  the  home  of  Mr.  Major, 
which  was  then  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Front  and  East 
Streets.  There  were  thirteen  charter  members ;  namely,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  W.  T.  Major  and  their  two  daughters  (Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Hawks  and  ]\Irs.  Judith  H.  Bradner)  and  one  son  (John 
— now  living  at  Davenport,  la.),  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  Scott, 
"Father"  Maxwell  and  two  daughters,  and  three  others 
whose  names  are  not  known.  This  little  company  met  regu- 
larly for  worship  in  the  home  of  Mr.  ^.lajor,  who  was  the 
leading  spirit. 

About  1840  a  small  frame  church  was  built  on  East 
Street,  between  Front  and  Grove  Streets.  In  those  years 
the  church  was  helped  by  the  able  ministry  of  James  A.  Lind- 
say, James  Robeson,  W.  P.  Bowles,  William  Davenport  and 
W.  H.  Brown.  Dr.  W.  O.  Warriner  was  a  leading  elder 
and  preacher  during  that  period. 

In  1856  the  lot  at  the  corner  of  West  Jefferson  and  North 
West  (now  Roosevelt)  Streets  was  purchased  for  $1,500  in 
gold  and  a  two-story  brick  building  erected  thereon  at  a 
cost  of  $8,000.  The  house  was  occupied  in  January,  1857, 
Charles  Louis  Loos  preaching  the  first  sermon.  Some  of  the 
leaders   in  this  enterprise  were   E.   H.   Didlake,   Thomas   P. 


286  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Brown,  Edwin  Boston,  Dr.  E.  K.  Crothers,  F.  W.  Emerson, 
Robert  Moore,  E.  W.  Bakewell  and  R.  E.  Williams,  all  of 
whom  have  passed  to  the  higher  life. 

The  pastors  who  served  the  church  were  Leroy  Skelton, 
T.  V.  Berry,  D.  R.  Van  Buskirk  (two  terms),  Henry  S. 
Earl,  J.  H.  McCullough,  A.  I.  Hobbs,  H.  D.  Clark  and  B. 
J.  Radford,  who  filled  interregnums.  The  pastorate  of 
J.  W.  Lamphear  was  uniting  and  healing. 

J.  H.  Gilliland  came  to  the  pastorate  in  February,  1888. 
He  says:  "T  entered  upon  the  work  with  fear  and  trembling." 
A  few  years  proved  him  to  be  a  masterful  leader.  In  1890 
the  old  building  gave  place  to  a  new  and  modern  structure. 
In  this  church  Mr.  Gilliland's  ministry  was  richly  blessed. 
In  1894,  without  any  outside  help,  480  additions  were  made 
to  the  church.  There  were  influential  men  of  fine  character 
who  gave  him  good  support,  among  whom  were  Dr.  G.  D. 
Sitherwood,  M.  Swan,  Henry  Kiser,  Peter  Whitmer,  J.  T. 
Lillard,  H.  J.  Higgins  and  Jacob  Bergman,  the  faithful  and 
much  loved  doorkeeper  in  the  house  of  the  Lord.  Mr.  Gilli- 
land came  to  the  church  with  about  four  hundred  members 
and  left,  after  a  ministry  of  fourteen  and  a  half  years,  with 
a  membership  of  1,550. 

Those  succeeding  him  were  Arthur  Wilson,  W.  R.  Lloyd 
and  Edgar  D.  Jones,  the  present  pastor. 

Those  who  have  gone  to  minister  to  the  world's  needs 
through  the  gospel  were  Knox  P.  Taylor,  S.  M.  Jefferson, 
W.  W.  Denham,  Otto  C.  Moomaw,  D.  W.  Madden  and  Mrs. 
Kate  Lawrence-Brown,  a  missionary  in  India.  N.  W.  Evans 
is  preparing  for  the  work  of  the  ministry. 

The  church  maintained  a  mission  Sunday  school  on  Moul- 
ton  Street  for  forty  years.  It  was  closed  the  last  Lord's  Day 
in  1912  because  of  a  lack  of  teachers. 

The  church  has  a  fine  record  for  Christian  hospitality. 
From  1853  to  1900  it  entertained  the  State  Missionary  Con- 
vention seven  times  free.  Other  assemblies  have  enjoyed 
the  generosity  of  its  people. 

Leroy   Skelton,  while  pastor,   fell  sick  and  died  July  4, 


CHURCHES  287 

1870.  Alonzo  A.  Wilson,  another  pastor,  was  stricken  by 
the  great  Destroyer  March  4,  1903.  J.  H.  GilHland,  while 
not  pastor  of  the  First  Church  at  the  time,  yet  enshrined  in 
the  hearts  of  its  people,  fell  before  the  great  Reaper  Apr. 
29,  1912.  Few  churches  have  such  a  heritage  of  tender  and 
glorious  memories  of  mighty  men. 

Bloomington  Second. 

Organized  1902,  by  J.  H.  GilHland ;  present  membership, 
565;  value  of  property,  $30,000;  Bible  school  began  1902; 
present  enrollment,  276. 

This  church  is  a  child  of  the  mind  and  heart  of  J.  H. 
GilHland.  The  First  Church  approved  the  movement  upon 
two  conditions :  first,  that  one  hundred  persons  enter  into 
covenant  to  become  charter  members,  and,  second,  that 
$10,000  be  pledged  for  the  new  property.  The  building  is 
located  at  the  corner  of  North  Evans  and  East  Mulberry 
Streets  and  was  finished  and  occupied  in  November.  The 
entire  indebtedness  was  provided  for"  before  the  dedication, 
which  was  conducted  by  Mr.  GilHland.  He  continued  as  pas- 
tor until  July,  1909,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  S.  H.  Zendt, 
the  present  minister. 

The  church  has  sent  into  the  ministry  Alva  Ragsdale,  W. 
B.  Phillips  and  Prof.  O.  L.  Lyon,  who  came  from,  the  M. 
E.  Church  and  is  a  teacher  in  Texas  Christian  University. 

Bloomington   Third. 

Organized  1901,  by  E.  M.  Harlis ;  present  membership, 
40;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $4,000;  Bible 
school  began  1901 ;  present  enrollment,  18. 

This  is  a  church  of  negroes.  There  were  thirteen  char- 
ter members.    They  now  own  a  beautiful  pebble-dash  church. 

Bloomington  Centennial. 

Organized  1910,  by  J.  H.  GilHland ;  present  membership, 
241;  value  of  property,  $25,000;  Bible  school  began  1908; 
present  enrollment,  257. 


288  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

In  February,  1908,  a  lot  at  the  corner  of  East  Grove 
Street  and  Willard  Avenue  was  purchased  by  Mrs.  Aaron 
Rhodes,  Dr.  O.  M.  Rhodes  and  J.  H.  Gilliland,  with  the  hope 
that,  in  due  time,  there  might  be  a  new  church  built  upon  it. 

In  March  following,  the  officers  and  members  of  the 
Second  Christian  Church  formally  resolved  to  establish  a 
church  east  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  and  seventy 
members  signed  an  agreement  to  constitute  themselves  into 
a  church  when  the  enterprise  could  be  placed  on  a  satisfactory 
financial  basis  and  a  suitable  building,  erected  on  the  above 
designated  lot,  should  be  ready  for  occupancy. 

Action  was  taken  in  October  following,  and  the  building 
was  completed,  furnished  and  first  occupied  May  1,  1910. 
Mr.  Gilliland  preached  the  dedicatory  sermon.  September  1 
following,  he  turned  the  pastorate  of  the  church  over  to 
Milo  Atkinson.  Previously  the  incorporated  name  adopted 
was  "Centennial  Christian  Church  of  Bloomington,  111."  It 
enjoys  a  strategic  location  and  promises  large  usefulness. 

Buck   Creek    (Lexington). 

Organized  1850,  by  P.  M.  Connors  and  Dr.  Young;  pres- 
ent membership,  30;  value  of  property,  $1,000. 

There  were  thirteen  charter  members,  among  them  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  John  Franklin,  Sr. ;  John  Franklin,  Jr. :  Thomas 
Pirtle,  Samuel  Scott,  Uriah  Hanson,  William  Hanson  and 
Mrs.  Andrew  Pirtle.  The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the 
groves,  residences,  schoolhouses,  and  the  barn  of  John 
Franklin.  In  1869  the  first  house  was  built,  but  several 
miles  west  of  the  first  site.  It  is  still  in  good  condition  and 
in  use. 

The  earlier  preachers  were  James  Robeson,  J.  G.  Camp- 
bell. J.  S.  Stagner,  H.  D.  Ledgerwood,  M.  H.  Knight  and 

r.  W.  Schick.  ^    ,     , 

Carlo  ck. 

Organized  1836,  by  Henry  D.  Palmer;  present  member- 
ship, 250;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $4,300; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  139. 


CHURCHES  289 

On  Aug.  13,  1836,  Henry  D.  Palmer,  William  Daven- 
port and  James  Robeson  united  in  a  meeting  for  public 
worship  at  White  Oak  Grove  in  the  wild,  open  woods.  Those 
mighty  men  of  God,  pioneers  in  a  new  country  and  of  a 
better  faith,  have  long  since  gone  to  their  rewards.  On  that 
August  day  they  were  young,  agile  and  masterful  in  their 
faith.  Then  and  there  the  White  Oak  Grove  Church  was 
born.  For  half  a  century  this  church  held  faithfully  on  its 
way  and  ministered  to  the  needs  of  the  community.  Most 
of  the  pioneer  preachers  of  central  Illinois  proclaimed  the 
gospel  there  at  various  times.  Among  these  was  Abner 
Peeler,  who,  some  now  say,  organized  the  church.  The 
meetings  were  held  in  the  homes  of  the  people,  in  school- 
houses  and  groves  until  1854,  when  a  house  was  built. 
Evidently  it  was  a  good  house,  since  it  served  the  church 
for  thirty-five  years  and  was  then  sold  and  moved  to  Conger- 
ville  for  a  union  church. 

The  building  of  a  railway  grew  the  town  of  Carlock.  A 
church  building  was  erected  there  and  on  Aug.  13,  1889,  the 
place  of  meeting  was  transferred.  Thus,  after  fifty-three 
years,  to  a  day,  of  life  and  service,  the  White  Oak  Grove 
Church  "fell  on  sleep."  Among  those  who  contributed  to 
its  strength  and  usefulness  there  were  Jonas  Benson,  John 
Benson,  Sr.  and  Jr. ;  William  Benson,  Reuben  and  Abram 
Carlock  and  Reuben  Brown. 

The  ministers  who  have  served  the  Carlock  Church  were 
G.  A.  Miller,  C.  C.  Rowlison,  S.  T.  Spitler,  C.  S.  Medbury, 
S.  H.  Zendt,  R.  L.  Beshers,  J.  S.  Smith,  J.  N.  Thomas,  E. 
E.  Boyer,  and  now  Miss  Myrtle  B.  Parke. 

Colfax. 

Organized  1867,  by  James  Robeson;  present  membership, 
308;  value  of  property,  $18,500;  Bible  school  began  1867; 
present  enrollment,  300. 

The  first  organization  of  the  Christian  Church  on  upper 
Mackinaw  was  in  1859  at  the  Wiley  Schoolhouse,  one-half 
mile  west  of  the  present  site  of  Colfax.    There  the  work  was 

10 


290  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

carried  on  four  years  by  Mins.  W.  G.  Anderson,  A.  W. 
Green  and  Speed  Stagner.  This  congregation  disbanded  in 
1863  because  the  members  were  so  widely  separated.  They 
affiHated  with  more  convenient  churches  of  Christ. 

In  1867,  James  Robeson  held  a  meeting  in  a  schoolhouse 
two  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  the  site  of  Colfax,  and 
instituted  a  church  with  sixteen  members.  This  congrega- 
tion used  several  schoolhouses  until  in  the  early  seventies, 
when  a  chapel,  that  was  called  Antioch,  was  built  two  and 
a  half  miles  north  on  a  piece  of  ground  given  by  Min.  M. 
H.  Knight.  The  railway  came  in  1880  and  the  town  of 
Colfax  was  born.  Meetings  for  public  worship  began  there 
in  1881.  The  membership  of  Antioch  was  gradually  merged 
into  Colfax.  A  house  was  built  in  1883.  This  served  the 
congregation  until  1907,  when  the  present  modern  house  was 
erected  during  the  pastorate  of  N.  11.  Robertson. 

William  Poynter  gave  the  Antioch  Church  good  service. 
At  Colfax  there  were  W.  G.  Anderson,  Dr.  A.  W.  Green, 
Speed  Stagner,  M.  H.  Knight,  H.  W.  Everest,  J.  F.  Ghorm- 
ley,  W.  G.  Campbell,  Jasper  Hieronymus,  Dr.  Sabin,  A.  L. 
Sabin,  A.  W.  Dean,  J.  S.  Clements,  John  Lemmon,  John  Gid- 
dens,  J.  D.  Dabney,  J.  H.  Smart,  C.  D.  Purlee,  P.  Baker,  C. 
W.  Dean,  N.  H.  Robertson  and  G.  R.  Southgate. 

The  church  has  given  to  the  ministry  James  W,  Knight 
and  Lawrence  B.  Anderson. 

Cooksville. 

Organized  1902,  by  John  R.  Golden ;  present  membership, 
144;  value  of  property,  $4,000;  Bible  school  began  1902; 
present  enrollment,  86. 

The  Blue  Mound  Church  was  organized  by  John  S. 
Stagner  in  1862.  It  was  an  influential  church  in  the  country 
for  nearly  forty  years — until  the  railways  came  through  on 
both  sides  of  it  and  towns  grew  up  on  these  lines.  It  gave 
four  men  to  the  ministry — John  S.  Stagner  and  his  son,  John 
S.  Stagner,  Jr. ;  H.  G.  Van  Dervoort  and  John  R.  Golden. 

In  1894  members  from  Blue  Mound  organized  a  church 


CHURCHES  291 

at  Cooksville.  A  restricting  clause  was  written  in  the  deed 
to  the  church  lot  which  led  many  members  to  hold  them- 
selves aloof.  A  C.  W.  B.  M.  auxiliary  was  formed  in  1902. 
Through  the  lead  of  these  women,  Minister  Golden  con- 
ducted a  revival  there  in  the  fall  of  that  year  and  started 
the  church  on  its  useful  way.  The  old  Blue  Mound  building 
was  torn  down  and  the  material  used  in  the  construction  of 
that  at  Cooksville. 

Ellsworth. 

Organized  1867,  by  John  Houston ;  present  membership, 
100;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1867; 
present  enrollment,  90. 

James  Mitchell,  James  Robeson  and  G.  W.  Minier  were 
the  earlier  ministers ;  later  they  were  A.  A.  Burr,  Louis 
Goos,  Roby  Orahood  and  A.  F.  Larson. 

Previous  to  this  date  there  was  a  church  at  ''Old  Town" 
that  contributed  to  the  life  of  the  church  at  Ellsworth.  The 
Old  Town  Church  was  the  product  of  pioneer  laborers. 

Gridlcy. 

Organized  by  Upton  Coombs;  present  memoershlp,  50; 
value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  40. 

Mr.  Gridley,  for  whom  this  place  was  named,  gave  the 
church  its  lot  because  it  was  the  first  cons;-regation  to  begin 
work  there.  John  Lambert  and  William  Wilson,  who  was  a 
Presbyterian,  hauled  blocks  from  the  timber  for  the  founda- 
tion of  the  building.  Among  the  first  members  were  John 
and  Nancy  Lambert,  James  and  Ursley  Locke,  Silas  Green- 
man  and  wife,  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Tarmen,  and  Joseph 
Huston  and  wife.  Min.  James  Robeson  reorganized  the 
church  in  1878.  H.  D.  Ledgerwood  preached  there  eleven 
years.  He  was  a  sincere  and  consecrated  preacher,  but  the 
adverse  conditions  in  the  community  were  many.  R.  L. 
Eeshers,  J.  E.  Prophater,  Osceola  McNemar  and  C.  H. 
Scrivens  followed. 

Reduced  by  removals,  the  church  has  had  a  precarious  life. 


292         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

Hcyworth. 

Organized  1872,  by  J.  S.  Stagner ;  present  membership, 
261;  value  of  property,  $10,000;  Bible  school  began  1882; 
present  enrollment,  207. 

While  serving  as  county  evangelist,  Mr.  Stagner  held 
a  seven  weeks'  meeting  here  in  the  winter  of  1871-72.  The 
public  hall  on  the  second  floor  was  used.  The  singing  was 
led  by  Mr.  M.  W.  Powell  without  the  aid  of  any  instrument. 
His  home  was  four  miles  out  in  the  country,  yet  he  missed 
only  one  service  during  the  entire  meeting.  The  religious 
peace  of  the  village  was  greatly  disturbed  by  Mr.  Stagner's 
plain,  earnest  and  Scriptural  preaching.  The  town  was 
vibrant  with  arguments  on  Biblical  questions.  However, 
some  "who  came  to  scoff  remained  to  pray."  There  were 
twelve  charter  members.  To  these,  many  were  added  during 
this  revival.  The  baptizing  was  done  in  the  Kickapoo  one 
mile  north  of  town.    The  ice  was  cut  away  at  the  place  used. 

A  year  later  a  church  building  was  erected.  This  served 
till  1906,  when  a  modern  building  was  erected  and  occupied 
during  the  pastorate  of  J.  P.  Givens. 

Mr.  Stagner  became  pastor  of  the  church  in  1872  and 
died  during  the  year — a  good,  brave  soldier,  who  fell  on 
the  firing-line. 

The  earlier  years  of  the  church  were  disturbed  by  "the 
organ  question,"  but  its  vision  cleared  and  it  has  come  to  be 
a  strong  and  useful  body  of  believers.  As  farmers  became 
well-to-do  and  moved  to  town,  the  churches  at  Grassy  Ridge, 
Lytleville,  Long  Point  and  Fairview  contributed  to  the 
growth  and  strength  of  Heyworth. 

It  has  given  to  the  ministry  Frank  Davis  and  Roy  O. 
Ball. 

Holder. 

Organized  1867,  by  Robert  Moore;  present  membership, 
35;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  no  Bible  school. 

This  church  was  organized  as  "The  Evergreen  Congre- 
gation of  Disciples."      Three    years    later    the    name    was 


CHURCHES  293 

changed  to  "The  Benjamanville  Christian  Church."  This 
was  about  the  time  of  the  dedication  of  the  building  at  Ben- 
jamanville, at  which  time  the  Christian  Church  of  Mt. 
Prospect  united  with  them.  In  1877  the  house  was  moved 
to  Holder  and  the  name  changed  accordingly.  It  has  never 
been  strong.  The  ministers  who  did  the  pioneer  work  in  the 
community  were  Robert  Moore,  N.  O.  Lacock,  James  Robe- 
son and  J.  G.  Campbell. 

Hudson. 

Organized  1877,  by  Speed  Stagner;  present  membership, 
89;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1910;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  81. 

The  East  White  Oak  Church  was  organized  about  1857 
in  Franklin  Schoolhouse  by  James  Robeson.  In  1859  a  frame 
house  was  built.  This  house  stood  just  over  the  line  in 
Woodford  County,  at  the  center  of  Section  14  of  the  White 
Oak  Township.  The  chief  men  were  J.  D.  Franklin,  Jehu 
Hinshaw,  Zachariah  Brown,  Cyrus  Leatherman,  Jesse  Chism, 
Dr.  Sabin  and  his  son.  It  is  credited  with  Jehu  Hinshaw 
and  M.  H.  Knight  in  the  ministry. 

After  twelve  years'  service,  the  congregation,  by  death 
and  removals,  went  down.  Of  the  remaining,  some  went  to 
Carlock  and  others  to  Oneida  Schoolhouse.  In  this  house, 
ki  January,  1877,  John  Hinshaw,  a  layman,  held  Bible-study 
meetings  for  two  weeks.  As  considerable  interest  was  shown, 
Minister  Stagner  came,  conducted  a  short  meeting  and  organ- 
ized a  congregation  of  thirteen  persons,  which  took  the  name 
of  Oneida.  Weekly  meetings  were  held  there  regularly  for 
thirty-two  years,  when  the  place  of  meeting  was  changed  to 
Hudson.    W.  D.  Deweese  is  now  pastor. 

Leroy. 

Organized  1888,  by  T.  T.  Holton ;  present  membership, 
240;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $22,400;  Bible 
school  began  1888;  present  enrollment,  240. 

Under  the  auspices  of  the  State  Board  of  Missions,  Mr. 


294  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Holton  began  this  work.  He  secured  the  use  of  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  Church.  About  forty  Disciples  were 
discovered  in  the  community,  among  them  Mrs.  Dr.  McKen- 
sie,  Mrs.  Devinney  and  Mr.  L.  S.  Kilborn,  superintendent  of 
the  public  schools.  A  church  of  twenty-nine  charter  members 
was  organized.  They  covenanted  to  meet  every  Lord's  Day  and 
proved  to  be  a  faithful  little  band.  A  series  of  meetings 
later  by  Evangelist  J.  S.  Clements  added  many. 

In  1891  the  congregation  occupied  a  chapel  of  their  own. 
In  1907  they  entered  a  stately  and  beautiful  edifice  that  was 
erected  during  the  pastorate  of  L.  E.  Chase. 

The  church  has  lived  and  grown  through  sunshine  and 
shadows.  From  its  beginning  there  have  always  been  faithful 
men  and  women  with  hope  and  courage. 

Lexington. 

Organized  1860,  by  B.  H.  Smith ;  present  membership, 
285;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $19,300;  Bible 
school  began  1887;  present  enrollment,   189. 

J.  G.  Campbell  and  James  Robeson  were  the  two  pioneer 
preachers  of  the  church  of  Christ  who  visited  Lexington 
previous  to  1859.  In  November  of  that  year,  Benjamin 
Franklin  held  a  public  debate  there  with  John  Luccock,  of 
the  M.  E.  Church.  The  organization  of  this  church  was  one 
of  the  results  of  this  discussion.  The  charter  members  were 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  N.  Long,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  FrankHn,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  G.  T.  Dement.  A  frame  building  was  erected 
the  following  year. 

The  first  pastor  was  Theodore  Brooks,  who  was  followed 
by  Joseph  Lowe,  Samuel  Lowe,  J.  F.  Ghormley,  M.  F.  Ingra- 
ham  and  W.  D.  Pollard,  who  entered  the  ministry  from  this 
church.  In  the  early  seventies  the  church  lost  its  spiritual 
life  and  the  house  was  closed  for  seventeen  years.  Some 
good  women  opened  it  asrain  in  1887,  starting  a  Sunday 
school.  Meetings  were  held  by  Evangelists  T.  A.  Boyer  and 
O.  W.  Stewart,  which  brought  to  it  new  life  and  large  num- 
bers.    The  pastors  who  followed  were  J.  H.  Reece,  W.  H. 


CHURCHES  295 

Cannon  (during  whose  ministry  a  brick  building  costing 
$8,000  was  erected),  E.  A.  Gilliland,  A.  A.  Wilson,  O.  L. 
Smith,  George  H.  Brown,  B.  H.  Sealock  and  J.  P.  Givens. 

In  August,  1912,  there  were  eleven  octogenarians  who 
were  members  of  this  church. 

McLean. 

Organized  1903,  by  Harold  E.  Monser;  present  member- 
ship, 50;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began  1903; 
present  enrollment,  60. 

Some  of  the  pastors  have  been  J.  A.  Serena,  J.  E.  Jewett, 
L.  B.  Appleton,  G.  E.  Duffy  and  F.  L.  Starbuck. 

Normal  First. 

Organized  1873,  by  S.  M.  Connor;  present  membership, 
420;  value  of  property,  $40,000;  Bible  school  began  1872; 
present  enrollment,   192. 

There  were  thirty-three  charter  members.  S.  M.  Shurt- 
leff  and  H.  G.  Fisher  were  the  first  elders,  and  John  Gregory 
and  William  and  Isaiah  Dillon  the  first  deacons.  The  old 
Baptist  Church  was  first  rented  for  a  Sunday  school,  and 
here  the  first  meetings  were  held  and  the  church  organized. 
A  frame  house,  with  a  brick  basement,  costing  $7,000,  was 
finished  and  occupied  at  the  close  of  1873.  This  building 
was  remodeled  in  1887.  It  gave  place  to  a  new  and  modern 
structure  in  1912.  This  was  the  last  work  of  the  lamented 
J.  H.  GilHland. 

The  pastors  who  have  served  the  church  were  S.  M. 
Connor  (two  terms),  H.  W.  Everest,  John  Ensell,  A.  P.  Cobb 
(two  terms),  G.  M.  Goode,  G.  A.  Miller,  J.  H.  Wright,  E. 
B.  Barnes,  J.  P.  Givens,  Andrew  Scott,  R.  H.  Newton,  W. 
G.  McColley,  J.  H.  and  E.  A.  Gilliland,  the  present  minister. 

Normal  Second. 

Organized  1884,  by  Preston  Taylor;  present  membership, 
28;  value  of  property,  $1,700;  Bible  school  began  1884; 
present  enrollment,  38. 


296  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

This  church  is  located  at  the  corner  of  Cherry  and  Lin- 
den Streets.  It  is  made  up  of  "colored"  people.  There  were 
sixteen  charter  members.  It  is  incorporated  under  the  civil 
statute  and  owns  its  own  property. 

It  has  given  George  Hoagland  to  the  ministry. 

Say  brook. 

Organized  1868,  by  James  Robeson ;  present  membership, 
292;  value  of  property,  $10,000;  Bible-school  enrollment, 
202. 

In  1860,  Min.  Jesse  Richards  formed  a  small  church  in 
a  schoolhouse  just  west  of  the  town,  but  it  soon  disbanded. 

In  1867,  Alin.  J.  M.  Stagner  began  holding  some  meet- 
ings in  the  Thompson  Schoolhouse,  one  mile  east  of  the 
town.  Conversions  were  made  and  scattered  members  gath- 
ered together.  In  the  early  winter  of  1868  another  meeting 
was  held  at  the  same  place  by  Mins.  James  Robeson  and 
James  Mitchell,  when  others  were  gained  and  the  church 
organized.  In  1869,  G.  W.  Cline  became  the  pastor.  The 
place  of  meeting  was  changed  from  Thompson  Schoolhouse 
to  Harrison  Hall,  in  Saybrook.  Several  series  of  meetings 
were  held  in  this  hall.  A  good  church  house,  costing  $3,400, 
was  finished  and  occupied  in  the  fall  of  1871  under  the  min- 
istry of  G.  W.  Cline.  All  the  materials  for  this  building 
were  hauled  from  Bloomington.  The  congregation  was 
unable  to  pay  for  this  property ;  so  Joseph  Newcomb,  Sr,, 
one  of  the  members,  mortgaged  his  farm  for  $1,000  and 
relieved  the  situation.  It  is  not  known  whether  the  church 
ever  reimbursed  him.  During  the  pastorate  of  H.  L.  Malt- 
man  the  building  was  worked  over  and  made  practically  new 
throughout.  C.  C.  Wisher  is  pastor.  The  church  has  also 
had  the  assistance  of  able  evangelists  and  Bible  instructors. 

Shirley. 

Organized  1869,  by  Jonathan  Park;  present  membership, 
168;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $5,000;  Bible 
school  began  1870;  present  enrollment,  60. 


CHURCHES  297 

This  is  considered  one  of  the  very  best  country  churches 
in  central  nhnois. 

A  new  building  was  erected  in  1912.  The  following  min- 
isters have  served  here:  Samuel  Lowe,  Jonathan  Park,  Dr. 
J.  M.  Allen,  G.  F.  Adams,  J.  A.  Seaton,  John  Lindsay,  G. 
M.  Wood,  J.  E.  Jewett,  Miles  J.  Hodson,  G.  W.  Minier,  G. 
W.  Warner,  Mr.  Doty,  Samuel  Reynolds,  K.  P.  Taylor,  and 
at  present  F.  L.  Starbuck. 

Stanford. 

Organized  1870,  by  James  Robeson ;  present  membership, 
323 ;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $22,000 ;  Bible 
school  began  1879;  present  enrollment,   195. 

In  1869,  "Uncle  Jimmie"  Robeson  held  a  brief  meeting 
in  an  upper  room  with  a  few  believers  who  desired  to  be 
known  as  Christians  only.  The  next  year  a  frame  building 
was  erected  and  a  church  of  Christ  organized.  There  were 
ten  charter  members.  A  new  and  commodious  brick  building 
was  finished  in  1900  during  the  pastorates  of  Fred  Hagin 
and  J.  M.  Porter.  This  church  paid  $30  for  missions  the 
first  year  of  its  life. 

Cassius  Garst  and  Howard  Kaufman  have  been  given  to 
the  ministry,  and  Miss  Elsie  Roth  and  Miss  Vera  Morris  are 
efficient  singing  evangelists. 

After  James  Robeson,  the  following  ministers  came: 
George  Cline,  John  Owen,  Isaac  Stout,  Samuel  Lowe,  G. 
W.  Minier,  W.  P.  Berry,  John  Lindsay,  H.  G.  Van  Dervoort, 
C.  B.  Dabney,  J.  Fred  Jones,  Melvin  Menges,  Fred  Hagin, 
J.  W.  Porter,  S.  S.  Lappin,  C.  W.  Marlow  and  N.  H.  Rob- 
ertson. Two  of  these  are  now  successful  missionaries  on 
foreign  fields. 

Twin  Grove  ( Bloomington ) . 

Organized  1841,  by  James  Robeson;  present  membership, 
40;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  50. 

This  church  was  organized  at  the  house  of  Samuel 
Barker  with  twenty-five  charter  members.     The  families  rep- 


298  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

resented  in  its  membership  were  the  Webbs,  Barkers,  John- 
sons, Beelers,  Hinshaws,  Dickens  and  Harbord.  Of  these, 
Mrs.  Martha  Hinshaw-  is  the  sole  survivor.  This  church  has 
exerted  a  wide  and  lasting  influence  in  the  community  west 
of  Bloomington. 

The  first  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1848.  It  gave 
place  in  1868  to  a  larger  building.  This  was  burned  down  in 
1911.  A  new  and  better  concrete-stone  building  has  grown 
on  the  spot  where  the  other  two  stood. 

More  than  one  hundred  preachers  have  ministered  to  this 
church.  Among  them  there  were  James  Robeson,  William 
Ryan,  W.  P.  Bowles,  Amos  Watkins,  Dr.  Young,  Dr.  War- 
riner,  William  Davenport,  G.  W.  Minier,  James  IMitchell, 
J.  G.  Campbell,  Albert  Peeler,  Jonathan  Park,  David  Lind- 
say, Sr.,  William  Brownell,  Dr.  J.  M.  Allen,  O.  A.  Burgess, 
John  Lindsay,  Washington  and  Jefferson  Houston,  P.  W. 
Schick,  J.  W.  Owen  and  J.  J.  Stagner. 

G.  R.  Southgate  and  Bert  Ross  have  gone  from  this 
church  into  the  ministry. 

Note. — To  Mr.  Geo.  W.  Nance,  of  Bloomington,  is  the 
credit  of  the  good  record  for  this  county. 

MACON    COUNTY. 

Antioch   (Decatur). 

Organized  1850,  by  John  W.  Tyler ;  present  membership, 
70;  value  of  property,  $6,000;  Bible  school  began  1859; 
present  enrollment,  68. 

This  church  was  formed  in  the  Salem  Schoolhouse,  one- 
half  mile  west  of  the  present  site.  In  1864,  Mr.  Tyler  gave 
the  congregation  one  acre  of  ground  on  the  south  edge  of 
his  farm.  There,  in  the  same  year,  a  very  strong  frame 
building  was  erected.  This  was  used  until  1909,  when  the 
present  attractive  buildinsf  was  begun  and  finished  in  1910, 
during  the  ministry  of  N.  S.  Haynes.  Its  cost  was  about 
$5,000. 

This   little   country  church,   located    five    miles    east    of 


CHURCHES  299 

Decatur,  on  the  C,  H.  &  D.  Railway,  has  given  to  the 
ministry  B.  B.  and  J.  Z.  Tyler  (sons  of  J.  W.  Tyler),  W. 
S.  Harmon,  C.  A.  Heckel  and  J.  P.  Lichtenberger. 

The  chief  honor  for  establishing  this  church  belongs  to 
"Uncle  John  Tyler."  Of  late  years  Mrs.  Emma  Heckel  has 
been  its  most  faithful  and  useful  member. 

Argenta. 

Organized  1848,  by  Dr.  J.  B.  MilHson ;  present  member- 
ship, 65;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1883; 
present  enrollment,  26. 

This  church  was  formed  in  a  schoolhouse  in  Newberg, 
a  country  village  one  mile  east  of  Argenta.  In  1872  the 
place  of  meeting  was  transferred  to  the  railway  village  of 
Argenta.  The  Clifton  and  Hill  families  were  prominent  in 
the  work  of  the  church  in  its  earlier  years. 

William  Brennan  gave  the  church  helpful  service  in  its 
early  Hfe. 

Blue  Mound. 

Organized  1861,  by  A.  D.  Northcutt;  present  membership, 
224;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $16,500;  Bible 
school  began  1867;  present  enrollment,  132. 

This  church  was  formed  in  the  farm  residence  of  Mar- 
shall Randall,  two  and  one-half  miles  northwest  of  Blue 
Mound.  The  charter  members  were  Marshall  Randall  and 
wife,  J.  C.  Rose  and  wife,  Daniel  Daniels  and  wife,  William 
C)verman  and  wife,  Denman  H.  Clements  and  wife,  C.  C. 
Hollier  and  wife,  and  Horace  Stivers.  All  of  these  have 
gone  to  their  reward.  The  meetings  for  public  worship  were 
held  in  the  residence  of  Mr.  Randall  and  in  the  schoolhouse 
till  1873.  The  building  of  the  railway  started  Blue  Mound 
and  turned  the  village  of  Randallville  back  into  farm  fields. 
In  this,  transference  of  membershio  was  made.  Under  the 
leadership  of  A.  D.  Northcutt,  a  U.  B.  chapel  was  bought, 
moved  to  the  town,  repaired  and  used  until  the  present  fine 
brick  edifice  was  completed  in  1906.    Mrs.  Nancy  Lewis  was 


300         HISTORY   OF   THE    DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

one  of  the  leaders  in  this  enterprise.  In  1880,  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  Mr.  Northcutt,  she  was  chosen  to  serve  as  a  dea- 
conness  and  gave  the  church  faithful  and  efficient  service. 

Center  Ridge  (Maroa). 

Organized  1867,  by  Dr.  L.  A.  Engle ;  present  member- 
ship, 60;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1875; 
present  enrollment,  35. 

This  church  was  organized  in  the  Center  Ridge  School- 
house,  where  it  met  for  worship  for  twenty  years.  In  1887 
a  neat  frame  building  was  erected  at  a  crossroads  two  and 
one-fourth  miles  due  west  of  Emery.  It  is  kept  in  good 
condition. 

The  charter  members  are  the  following:  James  D.  Ross 
and  wife  and  their  children  Albert  F.,  James  M.  and  Nancy 
E.  Ross ;  Jordan  Simpson  and  wife,  Peter  W.  Wycoff  and 
wife  and  son  J.  W. ;  D.  Jones  and  wife,  Thomas  Shockey 
and  wife,  W.  W.  and  Edward  Shockey,  and  E.  Blackerly. 
Of  these,  James  D.  Ross  was  the  leading  spirit.  This  little 
church  has  gone  steadily  on,  serving  the  community  well  for 
forty-five  years. 

It  gave  George  W.  Ross  to  the  ministry. 

Mrs.  J.  D.  Lyman  is  the  clerk. 

Harristozvn. 

Organized  1861,  by  Dr.  W.  A.  Mallory;  present  member- 
ship, 180:  value  of  church  property,  including  parsonage, 
$4,500;  Bible  school  began  1861  ;  present  enrollment,  118. 

Of  the  twenty  charter  members,  all  except  three  have 
passed  away.  James  M.  Eyman,  Aliff  C.  Willard  and  Mrs. 
Ella  J.  Averitt  are  the  survivors. 

This  church  has  always  had  fine  conceptions  of  Christian 
privileges  and  responsibilities.  Probably  the  one  entitled  to 
more  honor  for  this  divine  outlook  was  that  superior  man, 
J,  H.  Pickerell.     The  church  has  other  choice  spirits. 

A  modest,  well-kept  building  has  met  its  needs.  The 
church  gave  George  Hamilton  to  the  ministry.     He  died  in 


CHURCHES  301 

early  manhood.  But  three  of  its  daughters  are  wives  of 
ministers— Mrs.  C.  S.  Medbury,  Mrs.  L  N.  McCash,  and 
Mrs.  R.  A.  Gilcrist,  who  recently  died. 

Oreana. 

Organized  1864,  by  Dr.  J.  W.  Thayer;  present  member- 
ship, 125;  value  of  property,  $3,500;  Bible  school  began 
1864;  present  enrollment,  112. 

For  about  ten  years  the  public  meetings  were  held  in 
Zion  Schoolhouse.  In  1874  a  frame  building,  costing  $1,365, 
was  erected.  This  gave  place  to  the  modernized  building 
in  1895. 

The  earlier  ministers  of  the  church  were  William  Bren- 
nan,  E.  C.  Weekly,  J.  B.  Millison  and  John  Wilson. 

It  is  in  the  records  that  the  church  paid  $50  to  missionary 
work  in  1874. 

The  church  has  always  served  the  community  well. 
Among  the  honored  families  of  the  church  in  its  early  years 
there  were  Noble,  Boyer,  Spooner,  Moothart  and  others. 

Maroa. 

Organized  1862,  by  A.  N.  Page :  value  of  property,  includ- 
ing parsonage,  $23,700;  Bible  school  began  1869;  present 
enrollment,  210. 

This  church  was  organized  in  the  residence  of  Dr.  J.  W. 
Thayer,  who  was  an  ordained  minister,  but  whose  life  was 
chiefly  given  to  the  practice  of  medicine.  There  were  twenty- 
four  charter  members,  most  of  whom  came  from  the  Texas 
congregation  in  De  Witt  County.  J.  S.  Clough  and  M.  M. 
Thomas  were  the  first  elders ;  D.  J.  Harlan  and  Samuel 
Potter,  deacons,  and  Dr.  Thayer,  clerk. 

For  several  years  the  meetings  for  public  worship  were 
held  regularly  in  the  schoolhouse.  The  first  building  was 
finished  in  1869.  More  than  one  thousand  persons  turned  to 
the  Lord  in  that  sanctuary.  It  gave  place  in  1911  to  a  new, 
large  and  modern  structure,  during  the  pastorate  of  W.  H. 
Harding. 


302         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

John  W.  Tyler  was  the  church's  first  preacher.  Dr. 
Thayer  followed  for  several  years.  While  the  church  was 
struggling  in  its  earlier  years,  it  was  helped  by  the  ministry 
of  Dudley  Downs,  Leroy  Skelton,  John  Craycroft,  John  Wil- 
son and  Charles  Rowe.  During  the  pastorate  of  J.  V.  Beck- 
man  the  church  had  a  large  numerical  growth. 

Niantic. 

Organized  1868;  present  membership,  364;  value  of  prop- 
erty, including  parsonage,  $10,500;  Bible-school  enrollment, 
170. 

Niantic  grew  after  the  railway  was  built.  The  first  mem- 
bers came  from  the  Long  Point  Church.  Meetings  were 
first  held  in  the  town  hall.  The  subscription  for  building 
the  chapel  specifically  stated  that  none  of  the  fund  should 
be  used  for  a  steeple  or  tower.  A  special  fund  was  raised 
for  this  purpose.  Among  the  leading  men  in  the  early  years 
of  the  church  were  T.  A.  and  J.  W.  Prichett,  George  Wree, 
and  Griffin  and  Peter  Chamberlain.  B.  J.  Radford  was  the 
first  pastor. 

From  the  first  the  church  had  a  healthy  growth.  It  has 
always  had  a  part  in  every  good  work.  Its  officers  have 
been  efficient.  It  is  strong  in  material  property  and  apostolic 
in  outlook.  Nearly  $1,000  is  paid  annually  for  general  benev- 
olences. 

Long  Point  (Niantic). 

Organized  1850,  by  John  Powell;  value  of  property, 
$1,200. 

This  location  is  about  two  miles  south  of  Niantic.  In 
the  late  forties  several  families  came  from  Morgan  County 
and  settled  there.  There  were  fourteen  charter  members. 
The  first  officers  were  Nathan  G.  Averitt,  elder,  with  James 
Dingman  and  James  Sanders  as  deacons.  Of  the  original 
members,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Chamberlain  and  Mrs.  Rebecca 
P'ord,  both  daughters  of  N.  G.  Averitt,  are  still  living.  Mins. 
A.  J.  Kane,  Dr.  John  Hughes,  John  England,  A.  D.  North- 


CHURCHES  303 

cutt  and  others  served  the  congregation  in  its  earlier  years. 

Above  the  entrance  door  of  the  chapel  is  a  marble  slab, 
on  which  are  carved  the  following  words :  "This  building  was 
erected  by  the  Long  Point  Church  of  Christ  and  is  dedicated 
to  the  worship  of  almighty  God  so  long  as  instrumental 
music  is  not  used  therein." 

James  Dingman  and  James  Sanders  were  the  two  strong 
and  unique  characters  of  the  community  who,  in  their  later 
years,  gave  to  the  congregation  its  ultra-conservative  cast. 
But  the  memory  of  each  is  rightfully  held  in  high  regard. 
The  congregation  as  such  paid  $5  to  the  State  Sessionary 
Society  in  1865. 

It  now  has  preaching  one-fourth  of  the  time. 

Decatur. 

The  town  site  of  Decatur  was  laid  out  late  in  1829. 
Within  a  year  or  two  a  log  courthouse  was  built  near  the 
present  spot  of  the  Transfer  Station.  This  house  still 
stands — now  in  Fairview  Park.  If  its  logs  could  echo  all 
the  voices  they  have  heard,  the  souls  of  the  living  would  be 
strangely  stirred.  In  that  primitive  temple  of  justice  Joseph 
Hostetler  first  preached  in  1833.  The  next  year  there  he 
organized  a  church  upon  the  Bible  as  the  only  rule  of  faith 
and  practice.  In  1835  he  gave  the  infant  church  a  piece 
of  hazel-brush-covered  ground  at  what  is  now  the  corner  of 
Wood  and  Water  Streets.  On  this  plot  a  log  church,  about 
twenty  feet  square,  was  soon  built.  Among  the  charter 
members  of  the  church  there  were  James  and  Polly  Carter, 
Landy  and  Elizabeth  Harrold,  Joseph  Hostetler  and  wife, 
Mrs.  Martha  Williams,  Mrs.  Rebecca  Hanks,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Cantrall  and  Mrs.  Pratt.  Soon  there  were  added  Warren 
G.  Strickland  and  wife,  and  Mrs.  Charlotte  Turpin.  John 
W.  Tyler,  with  his  family,  came  from  Kentucky  in  1836  and 
shortly  thereafter  united  with  the  church.  Among  those 
who  besfan  the  Christian  life  in  the  log  church  were  Mrs. 
J.  W.  Tyler,  John  and  Elizabeth  Rucker,  and  Mrs.  Judith 
Oglesby,  a  sister-in-law  of  Richard  J.  Oglesby. 


304  HISTORY    OF   THE    DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

Carroll  Edds  came  in  1851  and,  with  Dr.  A.  L.  Keller, 
formed  the  first  prayer-meeting. 

This  building  served  as  the  place  of  public  worship  for 
twenty  years.  In  1855  it  gave  place  to  the  plain  brick  house 
that  stood  at  the  corner  of  North  Alain  and  North  Streets. 
In  this  year  Ebenezer  McNabb  came  to  the  town  and  the 
church  organized  the  first  Sunday  school.  In  the  fifties  the 
church  grew  by  conversions  and  by  those  of  like  faith  who 
came  from  Tennessee,  Kentucky  and  Ohio.  For  about 
twenty-five  years  the  church  had  as  its  preachers  Joseph 
Hostetler,  J.  W.  Tyler,  Bushrod  W.  Henry,  Robert  Foster, 
J.  P.  Lancaster,  James  Fanning,  G.  W.  Patterson,  Walter  P. 
Bowles,  William  Morrow,  H.  Bowles,  Tobias  Grider,  W.  W. 
Happy,  Dr.  A.  L.  Keller  and  A.  J.  Kane.  They  w^ere  self- 
sacrificing  pioneers,  mighty  in  the  Scriptures,  heroic  in  their 
devotion.  The  pastors  who  followed  were  William  Ebert, 
Alford  Paden,  Dr.  John  Hughes,  A.  J.  Taft,  W.  C.  Dawson, 
P.  D.  Vermilion,  Ira  Mitchell,  Lucius  Ames,  A.  D.  Northcutt, 
N.  S.  Haynes,  T.  W.  Pinkerton,  E.  B.  Cake,  Simon  Rorher 
and  George  F.  Hall.  Interims  were  occupied  by  Dr.  L.  A. 
Engle,  C.  E.  Weekley  and  J.  W.  Tyler.  During  the  pas- 
torate of  Mr.  Haynes  the  ''little  brick  church"  gave  place  to 
a  frame  building  in  1875.  It  was  more  attractive,  com- 
modious and  modern.  This  church  gave  to  the  ministry  A. 
P.  Cobb  and  W.  A.  Humphrey.  In  1893  the  lot  at  Main  and 
North  Streets  was  sold  and  the  building  moved  to  the  rear 
of  the  newly  purchased  lot  at  Edward  and  William  Streets. 
During  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Hall,  lots  were  bought  and  the 
Tabernacle  erected  in  1894  to  accommodate  his  audiences. 
In  1896  the  church  was  divided  and  a  part  returned  to  the 
old  house  at  Edwards  and  William  Streets.  This  is  known 
as  the 

Central  Church  of  Christ. 

Present  membership,  800 ;  value  of  property,  including 
parsonage,  $40,000. 

During  the  pastorate  of  F.   W.    Burnham,    the    present 


CHURCHES  305 

house  was  built.  After  its  occupancy  the  old  frame  building 
was  moved  to  the  corner  of  Leafland  Avenue  and  Warren 
Street,  where  a  mission  Sunday  school  was  maintained  for 
twenty  years.  Later  the  mission  was  abandoned  and  the 
property  sold. 

The  people  who  remained  with  Mr.  Hall  at  the  Taber- 
nacle organized  as 

The  First  Christian  Church. 

Present  membership,  879;  value  of  property,  $35,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  380. 

The  building  was  improved  and  renamed  the  ''Temple" 
during  the  pastorate  of  F.  B.  Jones.  It  was  torn  down  in 
1913  to  give  place  to  a  modern  structure  during  the  pastorate 
of  E.  M.  Smith. 

Seventy-two  people  w^ithdrew  from  the  First  Church  in 
1908  under  the  lead  of  the  retiring  pastor,  O.  P.  Wright, 
and  were  organized  as 

The  East  Side  Christian  Church. 

Present  membership,  75;  value  of  property,  $14,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  125. 

It  has  made  small  growth  and  is  heavily  in  debt.  The 
field  is  wide  and  deserving.     (The  church  is  dead.) 

MACOUPIN   COUNTY. 

Atwater. 

Present  membership,  143 ;  value  of  property,  including 
parsonage,  $4,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  59. 

Blooming  Grove  (Nilwood). 

Organized  1873,  by  Aslver  Solomon  and  George  McElroy; 
present  membership,  64;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible 
school  began  1874;  present  enrollment,  58. 

This  congregation  is  located  six  miles  east  of  Palmyra. 
The  charter  members  were  Elizabeth  A.,  Thomas  and  Sarah 
Mahan;  Mary  A.  Cleery;  James  B.  and  Nancy  A.  Burleson; 


306  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

James  A.  Williams,  Rosetta  A.  Lair,  William  and  Eliza- 
beth Crum,  Ellin  Slagle,  Amiel  and  Mary  Hunt,  John  A. 
and  Emily  Hart.  First  elders  were  James  M.  Lair  and 
Thomas  Mahan;  first  deacons,  Amiel  Hunt  and  Richard 
Cramp. 

Bercan  (Modesto). 

Organized  1830,  by  Jack  Nifing;  present  membership, 
25;  value  of  property,  $800;  no  Bible  school. 

This  congregation  is  located  three  miles  northeast  of 
Modesto.  It  is  "the  church  of  Christ  and  not  the  Christian 
Church."  It  has  Bible  classes,  but  no  Bible  school.  It  is 
opposed  to  "the  pastor,"  but  has  preaching  one  Ixird's  Day 
in  the  month ;  also  is  opposed  to  "so  much  preach  for  so 
much  money"  and  to  instrumental  music  in  the  public  wor- 
ship.   The  correspondent  is  J.  C.  Roady,  Fidelity,  111. 

Boston  Chapel  (Girard). 

Present  membership,  60;  value  of  property,  $1,800;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  38. 

This  is  four  miles  east  of  Girard. 

Carlinville. 

Organized  1896,  by  R.  A.  Omer;  present  membership, 
132;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $14,000;  Bible 
school  began  1896;  present  enrollment,  88. 

The  charter  members  were  as  follows:  Rhoda  Macknet; 
II.  T.,  Cleopatra  G.,  Georgia  and  Harry  B.  Richardson ; 
John  and  Lucinda  E.  Wilson :  Emma,  Willie  and  Lelia  Gib- 
erson ;  E.  A.  Utt,  Annie  E.  Glover,  Jennie  Hayes,  Florence 
and  Mary  Cunningham,  John  Taylor,  Selma  Egnew,  Franklin 
and  Susan  Smith,  Lodusky  Miller,  W^illiam  and  Jane  Clark, 
Darius  Swain,  Luther  Crowdy,  Mary  Deeds,  Elizabeth  Frick- 
ers,  Jesse  H.  and  Margaret  T.  Smith:  total,  twenty-nine.  Ot 
these,  thirteen  are  dead  and  five  have  removed.  M.  T.  Rich- 
ardson  is   the   clerk.     The   church   has   half-time   preaching. 

W.  A,  Green  has  been  given  to  the  ministry. 


CHURCHES  307 

Gillespie, 

Organized  1859;  present  membership,  84;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $4,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  50. 

The  first  congregation  grew  to  number  about  sixty,  but 
was  left  without  competent  leaders  and  failed.  In  1898  the 
church  was  revived.    Mrs.  J.  P.  Gross  is  clerk. 

Girard. 

Organized  1860,  by  Alexander  Johnston ;  present  mem- 
bership, 177;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $8,000; 
Bible  school  began  1860;  present  enrollment,  166. 

C.  H.  Metcalf  says:  'The  following  names  are  those  of 
the  charter  members :  Sisters  Thurman,  Moore,  Grandma  and 
Miss  Kate  Eastman,  Miss  Fannie  Eastman,  Mrs.  Belle 
Woods,  and  John  Ewing  and  wife."  The  church  was  formed 
by  Evangelist  Johnston  under  the  auspices  of  the  State  Mis- 
sion Board.  The  meetings  were  held  in  residences  and  the 
Universalist  chapel  till  the  completion  of  the  first  house  in 
1865.  The  present  building  was  finished  in  1900.  Fhe  first 
elders  were  John  Ewing  and  James  Duncan ;  later  Jacob 
Deck,  J.  D.  Metcalf,  L.  J.  Thompson,  Isaac  Moore  and  Dr. 
Clark.  These  were  Scriptural  elders  to  whom  the  church 
owes  very  much. 

Good  revival  meetings  were  held  by  able  evangelists  and 
wise  pastors  have  served  the  church.  It  is  well  organized 
and  has  a  very  honorable  record.  Leonard  G.  Thompson 
was  given  to  the  ministry. 

Modesto, 

Organized  1890,  by  J.  W.  McGufHn ;  present  membership, 
61 ;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1890;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  49. 

The  charter  members  were  R.  T.  and  E.  E.  Allyn ;  P.  R. 
Cox ;  J.  M..  Flora  and  S.  E.  Allyn :  Sarah  and  Rose  David- 
son ;  J.  J.  Sims,  Walter  and  Fannie  Allyn,  A.  S.  Chapman 
and  N.  A.  Jones. 


308  HISTORY    OF    THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Oak  Grove  (Rhorer). 

Present  membership,  36;  value  of  property,  $1,400. 
Mrs.  J.  F.  Haynes,  Modesto,  is  correspondent. 

Palmyra. 

Organized  1867;  present  membership,  392;  value  of  prop- 
erty, including-  parsonage,  $4,500;  Bible  school  began  1867; 
present  enrollment,  300. 

There  is  no  record  of  the  earlier  years  of  this  congrega- 
tion. It  has  given  to  the  ministry  of  the  gospel  Messrs. 
Albert  Cherry,  Lowell,  Perry  and  John  McPherson,  three 
brothers  in  the  flesh  and  in  the  Lord,  and  i\Iiss  Inez  Hum- 
phrey, a  schoolteacher  in  the  Southern  Christian  Institute  at 
Edwards,  Miss.  L.  E.  Chase  is  the  efficient  pastor,  and  P. 
G.  Mahon,  clerk. 

Round  Prairie  (Bunker  Hill). 

Organized  1845;  present  membership,  20;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $500;  no  Bible  school. 

The  location  is  six  miles  southeast  of  Bunker  Hill.  Its 
record  of  late  years  is  the  pathetic  and  oft-repeated  one — 
deaths  and  removals,  and  the  occupation  of  the  farms  by 
foreign-born  people. 

L.  S.  Mize,  Scottville,  is  the  clerk. 

Scottville. 

Present  membership,  160;  value  of  property,  $3,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  67. 

Shazu's  Point   (Barnett). 

Organized  1882;  present  membership,  64;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $850;  Bible-school  enrollment,  59. 

This  is  about  three  miles  northwest  of  Barnett.  It  was 
formed  after  the  older  church  of  this  name  moved  to  Bar- 
nett, and  was  hence  called  by  the  name  of  the  new  town. 


CHURCHES  309 

Staunton. 

Present  membership,  50;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  78. 

Weak.     Paul  N.  Stone  is  correspondent. 

West  Prairie   (Dorchester). 

Present  membership,  12;  value  of  property,  $500;  no 
Bible  school. 

Virden. 

Organized  1882,  by  W.  F.  Black;  present  membership, 
240;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $3,500;  Bible 
school  began  1883 ;  present  enrollment,  175. 

The  charter  members  were  Samuel  and  Mrs.  Mary  E. 
Williams,  L.  N.  Roland,  Jacob  and  Mrs.  Cardace  Groves, 
Dempsey  and  Mrs.  Lucy  Solomon,  James  A.  and  Mrs. 
Amelia  M.  Bronaugh,  John  Aldmon,  Henry  M.  and  Mrs. 
Flora  Gates,  Mrs.  Lizzie  Rice,  Mrs.  D.  \Y.  Williams,  Mrs. 
D.  M.  and  Mrs.  Maxie  Z.  Henderson,  Mrs.  Nancy  J. 
McNight,  Mrs.  Newton  Allen,  Mrs.  Susan  and  Mrs.  Lottie 
Plowman,  Mrs.  Eva  Strong,  Mrs.  Laura  Piper,  Mrs.  Anna 
Kable,  Mrs.  Louise  Spaulding  and  Mrs.  M.  J.  Wigginton. 

The  church  has  been  prosperous  from  its  beginning.  The 
present  edifice  was  built  in  1812.  S.  M.  Connor  was  the 
first  pastor,  and  A.  IVI.  Hale  the  present  one. 

Mr.  J.  P.  Henderson  has  been  actively  connected  with  the 
church  from  its  beginning.  His  grandmother  was  Anna 
Provine,  and  his  grandfather,  John  Henderson.  Both  were 
associated  with  Barton  W.  Stone  in  Kentucky.  John  Hender- 
son was  ordained  to  the  ministry  at  Bloomington.  Ind.,  in 
1821. 

Extinct  Congregations. 

The  Sulphur  Springs  chapel  stands  four  miles  west  of 
Waggoner.  It  was  built  as  a  union  house  in  1852.  It  is 
now  used  only  for  funerals,  a  cemetery  holding  the  sacred 
dust  of  several  thousand  people  having  grown  there  during 


310         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

the  sixty  years.  At  this  place  a  church  of  Christ  was  organ- 
ized in  1857.  It  prospered,  and  as  the  years  passed  away 
gave  its  members  to  Atwater,  Boston  Chapel,  McV'ey,  Shaw's 
Point  and  Waggoner  congregations.     It  disbanded  in  1888. 

The  churches  at  McVey  and  Dorchester  have  died,  the 
latter  after  a  life  of  thirty-five  years.  This  is  the  home  of 
J.  E.  Masters,  the  oldest  Christian  minister  in  the  county. 

Chapman's  Point,  so  called  from  John  Chapman,  who 
settled  there  in  an  early  day,  was  nine  miles  west  of  Virden, 
from  whence  came  the  Goode  brothers — M.  M.  and  G.  M. 

MADISON   COUNTY. 

Edwardsville. 

Organized  1889,  by  J.  H.  Garrison ;  present  membership, 
2>7)  value  of  property,  $4,000;  Bible  school  began  1889; 
present  enrollment,  36. 

Mr.  E.  J.  Jeffries  and  Dr.  William  Olive  led  in  the  work 
of  forming  this  church.  They  were  heartily  assisted  by  Mr. 
A.  O.  French,  a  prominent  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 
Capable  ministers  have  served  here,  but  the  city  is  so  largely 
made  up  of  foreign-born  people  that  the  congregation  grows 
slowly.  It  has  given  G.  H.  Rowe  to  the  ministry.  Messrs. 
Jeffries  and  Olive  are  elders,  and  H.  M.  Groves  is  clerk. 

Granite  City, 

Present  membership,  260;  value  of  property,  $9,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  185. 

Marine. 

Present  membership,  60;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  97. 

Nezv  Douglas. 

Present  membership,  90;  value  of  property,  including  par- 
sonage, $2,500;  Bible-school  enrollment,  72. 


CHURCHES  311 

Ridgely  (Dorsey). 

Organized  1850,  by  Mrs.  Matilda  Dorsey  O'Bannon; 
present  membership,  10;  value  of  property,  $800. 

The  chapel  was  built  the  same  year.  It  is  three  miles 
east  of  Dorsey.  The  church  is  in  good  condition,  with 
monthly  preaching  by  W.  H.  Groner.  G.  R.  Sutton,  Moro, 
is  the  correspondent. 

Worde7i. 

Organized  1892,  by  W.  Wilbur;  present  membership,  112; 
value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1892;  present 
enrollment,  108. 

There  were   fourteen  charter  members. 

The  chapel  was  built  in  1895.  Mrs.  J.  R.  Piper  is  the 
clerk. 

MARION    COUNTY. 

Alma. 

Organized  1867,  by  John  Ross;  present  membership,  50; 
value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1867;  present 
enrollment,  83. 

There  were  fifteen  charter  members.  The  church  grew 
steadily  for  a  time.  It,  like  many  others,  came  under  the 
reactionary  spirit  of  the  early  seventies,  by  which  the  numer- 
ical growth  and  spirituality  were  crippled  for  years. 

Cartter. 

Organized  1866,  by  W.  C.  Hill ;  present  membership,  35 ; 
value  of  property,  $2,400;  Bible  school  began  1866;  present 
enrollment,  36. 

The  Cartter  Church  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  Harvey's 
Point  congregation.  In  1808,  Captain  Harvey  and  his  com- 
panion overtook  two  horse-thieves  on  the  road  leading  from 
Salem  to  Old  Foxville,  and  captured  them.  In  order  to 
get  some  water.  Captain  Harvey  left  his  companion  in  charge 
of  the  outlaws.  But  he  left  his  gun,  and  when  he  returned 
one  of  the  thieves  fired  upon  the  captain  and  killed  him.     So 


312  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

ill  his  honor  the  place  was  named  Harvey's  Point,  This 
church,  in  the  early  years  of  its  life,  built  a  large  frame 
house  on  the  spot  where  Harvey  died.  Mins.  William  C. 
Hill,  J.  M.  Mulkey  and  James  Snow  did  much  for  the 
church  in  its  earlier  years. 

G.  W.  Stevenson  came  from  this  congregation  to  the 
ministry. 

The  church  grew  feeble  by  removals,  so  in  September, 
1911,  it  was  reorganized  by  Min.  J.  F.  Rosboro  in  Cartter, 
the  near-by  railway  town. 

Centralia. 

Organized  1856,  by  John  A.  Williams ;  present  member- 
ship, 675;  value  of  property,  $35,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, S35. 

This  church  was  formed  at  Central  City.  It  soon  became 
apparent  that  the  center  of  business  would  be  moved  to 
Centralia,  and  hence  the  church  was  transferred  to  that 
place.  The  eight  charter  members  were  the  following:  Jacob, 
Harriet  and  Simpson  Frazier;  Daniel  Meyers,  James  and 
Jane  McCarthy,  Margeret  Whitton  and  Louisa  Hawkins.  A 
lot  was  bought  and  a  commodious  frame  building  erected 
thereon.  In  1866  this  building  was  burned.  Thereafter,  for 
several  years,  the  meetings  were  held  in  rented  halls.  As  a 
consequence,  the  church  continued  to  become  weaker  and 
weaker.  In  1872  another  frame  chapel,  costing  $2,400,  was 
erected.  This  gave  place  in  1909  to  a  new,  modern  and 
beautiful  edifice,  costing  $32,000.  This  was  during  the  pas- 
torate of  J.  F.  Rosboro. 

During  the  Civil  War  and  for  years  following,  the  church 
sustained  serious  injury  from  the  bitter  political  feeling  that 
then  existed.    The  church  is  alive  to  all  good  works. 

Donohue  Prairie   (Kell). 

Organized  1898,  by  C.  A.  Burton ;  present  membership, 
100;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1898; 
present  enrollment,  100. 


CHURCHES  313 

About  1850  a  congregation  was  formed  and  met  for 
worship  in  the  residence  of  John  Hill,  Sr.  As  the  years 
passed  and  churches  were  organized  in  that  section,  many 
of  these  members  united  with  them.  Through  the  work  of 
W.  C.  Hill  and  others,  the  remnant  of  the  old  church  was 
gathered  up  and  a  new  start  was  made.  The  chapel  was 
finished  in  1899.  The  Church  Extension  Board  loaned  this 
country  congregation  $250,  which  has  been  paid.  There 
were  sixteen  charter  members.  S.  S.  Turley,  S.  C.  and 
Isaac  Hill  are  elders,  and  the  last  named  is  clerk  also. 

Gaston  Grove   (Cartter). 

Organized  1884,  by  J.  H.  G.  Brinkerhoff;  present  mem- 
bership, 89;  value  of  property,  $900;  Bible  school  began 
1887;  present  enrollment,  46. 

A  meeting  was  held  in  the  Huff  Schoolhouse  in  1886  by 
Minister  Brinkerhoff  and  was  followed  up  by  a  year's  work. 
There  were  forty-two  charter  members,  most  of  whom  came 
from  the  Mt.  Moriah  and  Harvey's  Point  Churches.  The 
site  was  selected  and  the  Gaston  Grove  chapel  was  built. 
Like  most  country  churches,  there  have  been  many  losses  by 
removals,  but  the  work  is  maintained. 

This  church  has  given  A.  Leroy  Huff  to  the  ministry. 
Bessie  Huff  is  clerk. 

KelL 

Organized  1896,  by  J.  F.  Rosboro ;  present  membership, 
15;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible  school  began  1895; 
present  membership,  30. 

The  preachers  having  served  the  church  were  C.  A.  Bur- 
ton, Clark  Braden,  W.  J.  Simer,  R.  M.  Philips,  F.  O. 
Fannon  and  George  Foley. 

Ktnmundy. 

Organized  1899,  by  J.  H.  Smart;  present  membership, 
110;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began  1899; 
present  enrollment,  134. 


314  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

E.  C.  Bargh  and  his  family,  with  a  few  other  Disciples, 
had  held  meeting  irregularly  for  thirteen  years.  Min.  J.  H. 
Smart,  then  the  pastor  of  the  church  in  Centralia,  was 
engaged  by  the  mission  board  of  the  district  to  hold  a  series 
of  meetings  and  organize  a  church.  This  was  done  in  the 
summer  of  1899.  These  meetings  were  held  in  the  M.  E. 
Church  South,  and  in  a  public  hall.  There  were  fifty  char- 
ter members.  A  lot  was  bought  and  a  good  building  finished 
the  next  year.  The  church  has  continued  to  grow  in  mem- 
bers and  influence. 

Lovel  Grove  (luka). 

Present  membership,  60;  value  of  property,  $1,050;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  34. 

This  church  is  about  one  mile  south  of  the  village  of 
Omega.  In  the  early  fifties  this  congregation  met  in  a  log 
house  about  two  miles  south  of  the  present  chapel.  It  was 
known  as  Bee  Branch  Church.  A  nice,  up-to-date  country 
chapel  was  built  in  1880.  In  the  earlier  years,  H.  A.  Van- 
dusen,  John  A.  Williams,  John  Tinkler,  Rolla  B.  Henry, 
William  T.  Williams,  H.  A.  Harrell  and  William  Chaffin 
ministered  to  the  people.  All  these  have  gone  to  their 
reward.  W.  J.  Simer  has  served  the  church  for  the  past 
thirty  years.  What  better  proof  could  be  given  of  a  genuine 
preacher  and  a  fine  people? 

From  this  church  there  came  to  the  ministry  H.  A.  Van- 
dusen,  F.  M.  Philips,  John  Tinkler,  W.  J.  Simer  and  A. 
A.  Millican. 

Mt.  Moriah   (Mt.  Vernon). 

Orsfanized  1829;  present  membership,  135;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $500;  Bible-school  enrollment,  134. 

This  is  the  oldest  church  in  Marion  County.  It  was 
organized  as  a  Free  Will  Baptist  church  and  held  this  name 
until  1837.  In  that  year  it  renounced  this  name  for  ''Church 
ot  Christ"  and  came  into  full  accord  with  the  principles  of 
the  Restoration  movement.     Among  the  consecrated  leaders 


CHURCHES  315 

in  the  early  years  there  were  William  Chaffin,  David  R. 
Chance,  Samuel  Shook  and  Charles  Drennen.  They  were 
pioneer  preachers  who  underwent  hardships  and  dangers 
uncomplainingly  for  the  truth's  sake. 

The  first  meeting-house  was  of  logs.  After  its  decay 
three  successive  frame  buildings  have  been  occupied.  The 
second  of  these  was  partly  wrecked  by  a  windstorm,  but  was 
repaired  and  used  till  1904,  when  the  present  neat  chapel  was 
built.  It  is  located  about  eight  miles  southwest  of  Salem. 
John  A.  Williams  was  the  gift  of  this  church  to  the  min- 
istry— a  magnificent  contribution. 

Odin. 

Organized  1878,  by  James  M.  Hawley;  present  member- 
ship, 188;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began 
1878;  present  enrollment,  113. 

There  were  sixteen  charter  members.  A  neat  frame 
church,  costing  $2,000,  was  built  and  occupied  early  in  1880. 
Before  that  the  meetings  were  held  in  a  public  hall. 

This  church  gave  to  the  ministry  R.  Leland  Brown.     He 

had  served  as  a  deacon  and  an  elder  before  he  was  set  apart 

to  the  ministry  of  the  Word.     He  has  served  a  number  of 

strong  churches,  as  well  as  the  evangelist  of  the  Seventh  and 

Eighth  Districts.  ^ 

Pat  oka. 

Organized  1875,  by  Samuel  Hawley;  present  member- 
ship, 125;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began 
1882 ;  present  enrollment,  129. 

This  church  made  but  little  progress  for  five  years. 
In  1880  it  was  reorganized  by  Min.  J.  D.  Morgan.  There 
were  then  twenty-nine  males  and  eleven  females  composing 
the  membership.  The  church  then  began  to  grow.  A 
church  building  was  erected  in  1882,  and  in  1905  an  addition 
was  built,  making  it  a  very  neat  structure.  A  large  portion 
of  the  membership  reside  in  the  country  south  of  town.  They 
have  erected  a  chapel  and  maintain  a  Bible  school  there  as 
well  as  in  town.     C.  M.  Ashton  is  clerk. 


316  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Salem. 

Organized  1866,  by  John  A.  Williams ;  present  member- 
ship, 265;  value  of  property,  $25,000;  Bible  school  began 
1867;  present  enrollment,  310. 

This  church  was  formed  in  the  house  of  John  A.  Wil- 
liams. The  members  were  few  in  number,  but  they  at  once 
bought  a  frame  building  that  had  been  used  by  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterians.  They  repaired  and  used  it  until  1879. 
The  next  year  a  brick  chapel  was  occupied.  This  gave  way 
in  1906  to  a  new  and  modern  building,  costing  about  $22,000. 
This  was  during  the  ministry  of  F.  O.  Fannon. 

Mr.  Williams  preached  for  this  church  a  long  time.  In 
its  earlier  years  it  was  also  served  by  John  W.  Monehan, 
John  Bradley,  J.  O.  Henry,  J.  H.  G.  Brinkerhoff  and  others. 

Sandoval. 

Organized  1889,  by  A.  Martin;  present  membership,  320; 
value  of  church  property,  including  parsonage,  $6,000;  Bible 
school  began  1889 ;  present  enrollment,   144. 

The  meetings  of  the  congregation  were  held  the  first  year 
in  the  Congregational  Church.  In  1890  the  building  now  in 
use  was  erected  during  the  ministry  of  J.  H.  G.  Brinkerhoff. 

Smith's  Grove  (Kinmundy). 

Organized  1882,  by  Joseph  D.  Morgan ;  present  member- 
ship, 25;  value  of  property,  v$400;  Bible  school  began  1882; 
present  enrollment,  67. 

This  church  is  about  seven  miles  east  of  Omega.  About 
eighty  years  ago  a  log  church  stood  two  miles  east  of 
Smith's  Grove.  It  was  known  as  the  Bluflf  Church  because 
it  stood  on  a  high  bank  of  Skillet  Fork,  by  a  rock-bottomed 
pool  that  has  been  used  in  baptizing  through  all  these  years. 
When  the  old  log  house  burned  down,  some  of  the  members 
formed  the  Old  Union  Church  in  Clay  County.  In  the  early 
eisrhties,  .J  D.  Morgan  gathered  together  members  from  the 
Old  Union  Church,  and  others  living  in  Krutchfield  Prairie, 


CHURCHES  317 

and  formed  the  Smith's  Grove  Church.  The  organization 
was  in  a  schoolhouse,  but  a  chapel  was  soon  built  which  the 
congregation  has  outgrown.  W.  J.  Simer  has  preached  for 
this  church  for  twenty-five  years.  Of  it  he  says :  'This 
place  can  show  more  little  folks  out  to  Sunday  school  and 
church  to  the  square  foot  than  any  place  that  I  have  ever 
been.  Nearly  all  of  the  young  folks  are  members  of  the 
church." 

Turkey  Creek  (Odin). 

Organized  1867,  by  A.  Martin. 

This  is  a  country  church  that  has  not  grown  much  in 
work  or  membership.  It  is  also  called  Deadman,  and  is  three 
miles  south  of  Odin. 

Youngs  Chapel   (Salem). 

Organized  1883,  by  John  A.  Williams ;  present  member- 
ship, 82;  value  of  property,  $500;  Bible  school  began  1883; 
present  enrollment,  46. 

A  country  church.  Preaching  services  had  been  held  in  a 
schoolhouse  in  the  community  for  forty  years,  but  no  organ- 
ization was  made  till  1883.  There  were  about  twenty  char- 
ter members.  J.  H.  G.  Brinkerhoff  and  F.  M.  Morgan  have 
served  the  church. 

Little  Grove  Church  was  two  miles  southeast  of  Cen- 
tralia,  and  formed  in  the  thirties  or  early  forties.  It  dis- 
solved about  1870. 

Ministers. 

J.  W.  Monnahan  was  a  farmer,  teacher  and  county  super- 
intendent of  schools  in  the  sixties  and  seventies.  A  good 
preacher  and  able  debater;  an  energetic  and  useful  man. 

Samuel  Shook  resided  on  his  farm  three  miles  southeast 
of  Centralia.  His  work  was  mainly  in  Marion  County  in 
the  thirties.  He  traveled  on  horseback,  followed  by  his  dog 
*'Trip,"  that  lay  under  the  pulpit  while  his  master  preached. 

William  Chaffin  also  resided  on  his  farm  in  this  county, 
where  he  preached  in  the  thirties  and  also  in  Clay  and  Jef- 


3\8         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

ferson  Counties.  He  had  a  habit  of  placing  his  hand  upon 
his  cheek  while  preaching,  and  often  said:  "I  would  work 
my  finger-nails  off  before  I  would  make  a  price  for  my 
preaching."'     He  died  before  the  Civil  War. 

David  R.  Chance  lived  on  his  farm  five  miles  from  luka. 
He  was  a  forceful  and  useful  man,  going  all  over  that  region. 
At  the  table  he  would  sometimes  say:  ''You  can  tell  a 
preacher  by  the  cups  of  coffee  he  drinks — one,  two  or  three; 
I  take  three." 

Richard  Huelin's  home  was  near  Walnut  Hill  in  1840. 
He  was  a  plain  man  who  knew  the  Bible  and  traveled  and 
preached  much. 

James  Snow  resided  in  the  same  community.  He  was  a 
gcod  man  with  a  gentle  disposition  and  his  preaching  con- 
trasted with  most  of  that  of  his  brother  ministers.  He 
resided  on  his  farm  and  traveled  widely. 

H.  A.  Vandusen  lived  on  his  farm  near  Omega.  He  was 
told  that  he  had  hurt  a  congregation  by  serving  it  for  noth- 
ing. He  replied :  "I  don't  know  but  what  that  is  true."  He 
was  a  conservative,  but  earnestly  opposed  any  thought  of 
division  on  questions  of  opinion. 

It  was  in  this  county  that  an  aged  M.  E.  preacher  said: 
'*A  man  can  be  a  good  Christian  in  any  denomination  except 
the  Campbellite  or  Mormon." 

MARSHALL    COUNTY. 

The  Crow  Creek  congregation,  afterward  known  as  tlie 
Salem  Christian  Church,  was  located  about  seven  miles  south 
and  a  little  east  of  Lacon.  It  was  constituted  probably  in  the 
home  of  Nathan  Owen,  just  down  the  hill  from  the  old 
Salem  Cemetery,  June  12,  1836.  The  agreement  signed  was 
the  following: 

The  believers  in  Christ  on  Crow  Creek  mutually  agree  to  consti- 
tute themselves  in  a  congregational  capacity  on  the  Bible  alone,  and 
to  tpke  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  for  their  rule 
of  f?ith,  practice  and  discipline..  And  to  have  their  names  registered 
together  and  to  live  in  subjection  to  each  other  according  to  the  above- 
named  rule. 


CHURCHES  319 

This  is  signed  by  Nathan  and  Elizabeth  Owen,  WiUiam 
B.  and  Stephen  James,  Milly  Ann  Davis,  Isaac  and  EHzabeth 
Black,  I.  F.  and  Mary  Ann  Miller,  Betsy  Martin,  vSusanah 
Bird,  Elder  H.  D.  and  Patsey  Palmer,  Isaac  and  Eliza  Polk, 
William  and  Alethee  Maxwell.  Meetings  were  held  in  the 
homes  of  the  members  and  in  groves  when  weather  per- 
mitted. About  1845  a  house  was  built  which  served  the 
people  except  during  protracted  meetings  or  on  County 
Co-operation  days,  when  they  adjourned  to  the  groves.  This 
chapel  stood  two  miles  east  of  old  Salem  Cemetery.  Its 
walls  were  of  brick  made  near  by,  but  the  lumber  was 
hauled  by  ox  teams  from  Chicago,  a  distance  of  125  miles 
as  the  crow  flies.  Some  of  the  sons  of  the  men  who  helped 
in  this  work  are  yet  living.  In  later  years  it  was  used  for 
a  schoolhouse  and  was  finally  torn  down. 

Henry  D.  Palmer  was  doubtless  the  great  spiritual  leader 
in  this  work  through  many  years  and  its  influences  were  far- 
reaching.  It  was  here  that  Mr.  Palmer  taught  O.  A.  Bur- 
gess the  right  way  of  the  Lord,  saving  him  from  unbelief 
and  starting  him  on  his  great  career.  Nathan  Owen  was 
chosen  deacon  in  1836  and  the  next  year  Mr.  Palmer  was 
chosen  elder.  Both  of  them  were  resident  preachers  and 
farmers,  as  also  John  L.  McCune.  The  church  grew  at  one 
time  to  a  membership  of  193  and  was  visited  by  all  the 
pioneer  ministers  in  that  section  of  the  State.  The  last  rem- 
nant of  the  membership  went  to  Washburn  about  1896. 

Belle  Plain  (La  Rose). 

Organized  1845;  present  membership,  115;  value  of  prop- 
erty, including  parsonage,  $4,500 ;  Bible-school  enrollment,  92. 

Mr.  A.  F.  Hatten,  the  clerk,  says: 

The  church  of  Christ  at  Belle  Plain  was  organized  at  the  head- 
waters of  Crow  Creek  in  a  schoolhouse,  May  10,  1845,  by  the  follow- 
ing: William,  Robert,  Rebecca,  Olive  and  James  Bennington;  Isaac 
M.  and  Eliza  M.  Polke,  Elijah  and  Sarah  Vandervoort,  Geo.  W.  and 
Margaret  J.  Taylor,  James  and  Mary  Martin,  Jane  Hester  and  Mary 
Hatten.     The  meetings  for  worship  were  irregular  for  several  years. 


320  HISTORY    OF   THE    DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

In  1854,  at  a  meeting  in  James  Martin's  barn,  an  unsuccessful  effort 
was  made  to  build  a  chapel.  But  in  1856  Pattonsburg,  the  former 
name  of  the  town,  was  selected  as  the  place  and  the  house  was  built 
there.  It  was  then  called  the  Liberty  Church  of  Christ.  This  local 
name  was  dropped  when  the  name  of  the  place  was  changed. 

Among  the  early  preachers  there  were  James  Robeson, 
John  T.  Jones,  Amos  Watkins,  James  A.  and  John  Lindsay, 
and  Carrol  Ghent.  Since  then  twenty-two  others  have  served 
the  church. 

Henry. 

Organized  1889,  by  T.  A.  Boyer;  present  membership, 
54;  value  of  property,  $3,500;  Bible  school  began  1889; 
present  enrollment,  30. 

This  congregation  was  the  immediate  result  of  a  five 
weeks'  meeting  conducted  by  Evangelist  Boyer.  Many  of  its 
members  have  moved  away,  so  that  it  has  never  grown  to  be 
strong.     Miss  Clara  B.  Waughop  is  the  correspondent. 

Toluca. 

Organized  1858,  by  J.  Q.  A.  Houston;  value  of  property, 
including  parsonage,  $9,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,   170. 

For  about  thirty-four  years  this  was  known  as  the  Antioch 
Church  and  was  located  one  mile  west  of  Toluca  town  site. 
Among  the  first  families  there  were  Skelton,  Ball,  Fetters, 
Bennington,  Stratton  and  Trowbridge.  It  was  a  country 
church  fruitful  of  great  good.  Leroy  Skelton  was  given  to 
the  ministry.  Toluca  grew  up  when  the  railway  was  built 
and  the  chapel  was  moved  there  in  1892.  A  new  building 
was  erected  in  1895. 

S.  S.  Lappin  began  his  ministry  in  this  church. 

MASON    COUNTY. 

The  following  is  furnished  by  Min.  R.  E.  Henry,  pastor 
of  the  Havana  Church: 

The  first  church  of  the  Christians  dates  its  beginning  from  the 
coming  into  the  county  of  Uncle  Jimmie  Ross,  from  Morgan  County, 


CHURCHES  321 

in  1840.  He  had  been  for  more  than  forty  years  a  class-leader  in 
the  M.  E.  Church,  but  before  coming  into  this  county  he  had  been 
won  by  the  plea  of  the  Restoration.  Upon  his  settlement  on  Quiver 
Prairie,  six  miles  northeast  of  Havana,  he  began  to  preach  from 
house  to  house,  and  in  the  spring  of  1841,  in  an  unfinished  barn,  with 
the  assistance  of  Elder  Josiah  Crawford  of  the  Old  Salem  Church, 
held  a  revival  of  several  weeks  and  organized  a  church.  Elder  Craw- 
ford continued  to  preach  here  for  many  years  once  or  twice  a  month, 
A  building  was  later  built  and,  while  the  work  is  not  kept  up  at 
present,  occasional  services  are  held  in  it.  Among  the  early  preachers 
were  William  Davenport,  W.  A.  Poynter,  Andrew  Page.  John  Lindsay 
and  J.  I.  Judy.  Of  the  charter  members  Grandma  Kroell,  formerly 
Mrs.  Atwater,  remains  in  vigorous  health  and  mind  at  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety  years. 

The  next  church  organized  in  the  county  some  years  after  the  one 
at  Quiver  was  at  Bath,  which  is  still  in  fair  condition. 

Some  thirty-five  years  ago  the  church  at  Mason  City  was  organized 
and  is  one  of  the  strong  religious  forces  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county  for  righteousness.  They  have  only  recently  built  a  fine  house 
of  worship. 

The  work  in  Havana  was  organized  about  fifteen  years  ago  by  the 
State  Missionary  Society  under  the  leadership  of  J.  Fred  Jones.  Be- 
fore the  church  was  organized,  G.  M.  Goode  and  J.  B.  Dabney  held  a 
meeting,  finding  twenty-six  who  had  fellowship  with  the  church  else- 
where and  ready  to  organize.  Twelve  years  ago  a  building  was  pur- 
chased from  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  and  rededicated  by  J.  H. 
Gilliland.  The  first  few  years  the  church  was  supplied  by  students 
from  Eureka  among  whom  for  three  years  was  Joseph  Serena.  Dur- 
ing the  pastorate  of  Louis  O.  Lehman  the  work  was  organized  at 
Topeka  and  Kilbourne.  The  work  at  the  former  place  has  been  dis- 
continued, while  at  the  latter  place  a  good  half-time  work  is  main- 
tained with  a  Bible  school. 

There)  is  also  an  organization  of  Disciples  at  Pleasant  Plains  and 
a  work  is  maintained  as  a  union  church  with  the  Baptists. 

In  later  years  Min.  J.  M.  Haiighey  gave  this  county 
excellent  service,  often  walking  to  his  appointments. 

MASSAC    COUNTY. 

Bethel  (Grand  Chain). 
Organized    1885,   by   George    Barrows ;   present   member- 
ship, 60;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1885; 
present  enrollment,  78. 

This  church  is  near  Hillerman. 
11 


322  HISTORY    OF    THE   DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

Brookpovt. 

Organized  1885,  by  Dr.  D.  M.  Breaker;  present  member- 
ship, 60;  value  of  property,  including-  parsonage,  $2,600; 
Bible  school  began  1885 ;  present  enrollment,  79. 

This  church  lived  ten  years  without  a  building.  It  has 
grown  and  done  good  service  all  the  time. 

Joppa. 

Organized  1881,  by  C.  H.  Waddell ;  present  membership, 
40;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $1,800;  Bible 
school  began  1881 ;  present  enrollment,  50. 

There  were  seventy-three  charter  members.  The  church 
made  no  progress  for  five  years.  Under  the  ministry  of  R. 
P.  Warren  new  life  came  to  it;  but  he  was  killed  in  1890 
by  a  runaway  horse.  Another  period  of  depression  followed. 
Under  the  ministry  of  O.  J.  Page  the  church  took  on  new 
life.     In  1895  a  new  building  was  erected. 

Liberty  Ridge  (Metropolis). 

Organized  1867,  by  Dr.  Joseph  Brown ;  present  member- 
ship, 40;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  no  Bible  school. 

A  country  church  located  six  miles  northwest  of  Metrop- 
olis. It  was  organized  in  a  log  schoolhouse.  Soon  thereafter 
a  cheap  building  was  erected  which  in  later  years  was  mod- 
ernized and  rebuilt.  In  its  early  years  Stanton  Fields 
preached  for  the  congregation. 

Little  Rock    (Unionville). 

Organized  1875,  by  W.  W.  Dugger;  present  membership, 
80;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1875; 
present  enrollment,  75. 

This  church  is  made  up  of  negroes.  It  is  located  in  the 
east  end  of  the  county.  They  meet  regularly  every  Lord's 
Day  for  worship,  with  half-time  preaching.  They  are  doing 
good  work. 


CHURCHES  323 

Metropolis. 

Organized  1864,  by  Joseph  Brown ;  present  membership, 
300;  value  of  property,  inckiding  parsonage,  $3,100;  Bible 
school  began   1867;  present  enrollment,   160. 

The  church  was  at  first  made  up  largely  of  refugees  who 
had  come  from  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  during  the  Civil 
War.  After  its  close  many  of  them  moved  away.  The 
organization  was  made  in  the  courthouse.  The  first  church 
house  was  built  in  1867.  It  was  wrecked  by  a  cyclone  and 
rebuilt. 

This  church  has  baptized  more  than  one  thousand  people. 
It  has  given  to  the  ministry  J.  P.  Alsup,  B.  L.  Beshers  and 
T.  J.  Golightly.  J.  F.  McCartney  was  one  of  its  most  force- 
ful and  useful  men. 

The  first  pastor  was  B.  C.  Deweese;  the  last,  J.  S.  Clem- 
ents. 

Mt.  Pleasant   (Brookport). 

Present  membership,  24;  value  of  property,  $800. 
Conservative. 

Samouth. 

Present  membership,  40;  Bible-school  enrollment,  50. 
This  is  a  union  church. 

Unionville. 

Organized  1865,  by  W.  W.  Dugger ;  present  member- 
ship, 100;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began 
1902;  present  enrollment,  100. 

This  place  is  ten  miles  southeast  of  Metropolis.  Mr. 
Dugger  was  invited  to  preach  in  the  M.  E.  Church,  which 
he  did.  The  invitation  was  soon  withdrawn.  Min.  G.  W. 
Hughey,  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  denounced  Mr.  Dugger  as  a 
^'Baptist  infidel,"  and  of  his  brethren  in  faith  he  said:  "They 
are  not  Christians,  but  Campbellites,  and  Campbellites  they 
shall  be  called."  However,  a  church  was  organized  that 
aimed  to  be  Christian  only.     A  small  church  building  was 


324  HISTORY    OF   THE    DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

erected  which  was  the  first  owned  by  the  Disciples   in   the 
county.     Another  and  better  house  has  since  been  built. 

MENARD   COUNTY. 

Athens. 

Organized  1838,  by  John  A.  Powell;  present  member- 
ship, 201;  value  of  property,  $5,500;  Bible-school  enrollment, 
146. 

A  wagon-maker  named  Brockman  went  from  Jackson- 
ville to  Athens  about  1836.  He  was  quite  an  exhorter  and 
moved  those  who  heard  him  to  tears.  About  that  time  a 
large,  well-formed  man,  with  a  powerful  voice  and  dressed 
in  homespun,  began  to  preach  there;  he  spoke  just  as  the 
Disciples  preached  on  Pentecost  and  afterward.  That  was 
John  A.  Powell,  of  Sugar  Grove.  Shortly  he  secured  Evan- 
gelist Robert  Foster  to  help  in  a  meeting.  There  a  little 
congregation  was  formed.  But  by  reason  of  a  lack  of  com- 
petent leadership,  in  a  few  years  the  congregation  went 
down.  Peter  Akers,  M.  E.  Church,  did  what  he  could  in 
three-hour  sermons  toward  pounding  the  life  out  of  this 
little  church. 

About  1850,  Adam  Grove,  a  tailor,  located  in  Athens  and 
began  to  agitate  the  question  of  a  church  of  Christ  there. 
He  was  soon  joined  by  James  Mott,  a  cabinet-maker,  who, 
with  others,  began  to  build  a  small  brick  chapel  about  1851. 
The  lot  cost  $10  and  is  yet  owned  by  the  congregation.  The 
trustees  at  that  time  were  C.  R.  Pierce,  John  Jordan,  Wil- 
liam Price,  James  Hall,  William  Primm,  Robert  Edwards, 
and  A.  H.  Foster,  clerk.  The  congregation  was  served  by 
the  central  Hlinois  pioneer  preachers  of  those  years.  Dur- 
ing the  earlier  years  of  the  Civil  War  the  congregation  again 
went  to  pieces.  But  it  was  renewed  again  in  1864  by  the 
return  and  faithful  ministry  of  Clayborne  Hall.  Since  then 
the  work  has  gone  steadily  on.  In  1858  a  new  building  was 
erected. 

Mr.  Hall  was  a  faithful  man  and  to  him  this  church  is 


CHURCHES  325 

much  indebted.    Twenty-one  years  of  his  life  were  passed  in 
Iowa. 

Greenviezv, 

Organized  1869,  by  D.  D.  Miller;  present  membership, 
215;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $2,700;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  140. 

'The  church  of  Christ,  meeting  for  worship  at  Green- 
view,  111.,"  grew  out  of  the  efforts  of  the  church  at  Sweet 
Water.  Previous  to  the  organizing  there  was  regular 
preaching  for  eight  months  in  a  hall  by  Mins.  T.  W.  Raney 
and  D.  T.  Hughes.  All  of  the  charter  members  except  one 
came  from  Sweet  Water.  They  were:  Wm.  N.  and  Silas 
Alkine,  C.  R.  Rice,  M.  M.  Ingle;  G.  W.,  Elijah  C.,  Nancy 
and  Manda  A.  Pierce ;  S.  H.  Blane,  William  C.  and  Elizabeth 
S.  Yowell,  D.  T.  and  Martha  Hughes,  Paulina  and  Jane 
Killion,  Mary  A.  Propst,  Mary  Samson,  James  Meadows, 
Lewis  and  Eliza  Yuens,  J.  H.  Applegate,  Annie  Cogal  and 
Alvina  Roberts.  These  members  mutually  pledged  them- 
selves to  faithful  Christian  service  to  the  close  of  their  lives. 
The  congregation  grew  in  numbers.  In  1870,  C.  R.  Pierce 
and  James  Yowell  were  chosen  as  elders,  with  Alonzo  Matts 
and  Mr.  Ingle  as  deacons.  In  1879  the  place  of  meeting 
was  changed  from  a  hall  to  the  Baptist  chapel  and  the  two 
Sunday  schools  united.  Then,  being  without  a  pastor,  the 
congregation  waned  for  a  few  years.  Then  Joel  Shoemaker 
served  as  pastor.  The  church  house  was  not  built  until  1890. 
Then  there  was  a  reconsecration  of  the  members,  led  by 
Min.  David  Husband.  There  were  about  forty  persons. 
Chas.  Smoot,  J.  P.  Lichtenberger,  C.  A.  Heckel,  W.  T. 
McConnell,  Mr.  Allen,  Lewis  Goos,  J.  W.  Flynn  and  R.  D. 
Cartwright  have  served  the  congregation.  C.  W.  Freeman 
i?,  now  pastor. 

E.  A.  Propst  has  served  as  superintendent  of  the  Bible 
school  since  its  beginning.  S.  H.  Blane  and  family  have  been 
most  helpful  members. 

It  has  given  to  the  ministry  Ralph  Callaway. 


326  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Petersburg. 

Organized  1863,  by  Alexander  Johnston ;  present  mem- 
bership, 620;  value  of  property,  $30,000;  Bible  school  began 
1863 ;  present  enrollment,  275. 

In  the  forties,  Aaron  B.  White,  a  Christian  minister 
residing  in  Petersburg,  and  his  sons  cleared  out  the  under- 
brush and  built  a  stand  for  an  open-air  meeting  just  across 
the  street  east  from  his  residence.  This  is  the  spot  on 
which  the  present  church  now  stands.  Evangelist  W.  H. 
Brown  preached  on  that  outdoor  stand  in  1846;  with  what 
results  it  is  not  known. 

About  1860  the  Davis,  Arnold,  Lamar,  Capps  and 
Cheaney  families  were  residents  of  that  community  and 
began  to  meet  on  the  Lord's  Days  for  public  worship  accord- 
ing to  the  word  of  God.  The  L.  A.  and  Jackson  Whipp 
families  came,  too,  a  little  later.  The  most  zealous  and 
devoted  of  all  these  was  Mrs.  James  W.  Cheaney,  whose 
presence  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  is  to  this  day  an  inspira- 
tion. The  first  elders  were  Dr.  K.  B.  Davis  and  Robert 
Arnold.  A  few  years  after  the  organization  L.  A.  Whipp 
was  made  an  elder,  and  continues  to  this  time  to  fill  the 
place  with  zeal  and  earnestness.  In  1875  a  forward  move- 
ment, led  by  Mrs.  Cheaney,  was  determined  upon.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  J.  W.  Judy,  of  Tallula,  promised  their  help.  When  the 
big  tent  in  which  the  meeting  was  to  be  held  was  hauled 
from  the  depot  to  the  location.  Colonel  Judy  rode  astride 
of  it.  Some  of  his  friends  along  the  street  twitted  him. 
Within  two  months,  they  learned  that  he  who  laughs  last 
laughs  best.  The  meeting  conducted  by  Evangelist  D.  R. 
Lucas  resulted  in  about  260  additions  and  placed  the  church 
firmly  upon  its  feet. 

The  first  house  was  built  in  1876  and  the  present  modern 
structure  in  1909,  during  the  pastorates  of  W.  M.  Groves 
and  B.  H.  Sealock.  J.  W.  Judy  and  W.  G.  Green,  of 
Tallula,  and  L.  A.  Whipp  and  A.  G.  Nance  have  given  the 
church  valuable  financial  support.     The  pastorate  of  M.  M. 


CHURCHES  327 

Goode  is  remembered  to  have  been  oi  great  service  to  the 
congregation. 

Two  public  debates  were  held  here — the  Lucas-Miller  and 
J.  S.  Sweeney  with  Min.  "Universahst"  Marvin. 

The  church  has  had  eleven  pastors.  Dr.  D.  T.  Hughes, 
Harrison  Osborne,  John  Owen  and  Dr.  L.  A.  Engle  were 
among  the  early  preachers. 

Szueet  IVater. 

Organized  1825;  present  membership,  115;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $4,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  100. 

Menard  County  was  a  part  of  Sangamon  until  the  meet- 
ing of  the  General  Assembly  in  1838-39.  The  first  name  of 
this  locality  was  Sugar  Grove,  which  was  applied  to  it 
because  of  the  large  grove  of  these  trees  that  grew  there. 
The  congregation  was  first  organized  as  a  Baptist  church; 
next  it  affiliated  with  the  "New  Lights,"  or  Christian  Denom- 
ination ;  later  it  became  a  part  of  the  Restoration  movement. 

The  earliest  extant  records  bear  date  of  1851.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  at  that  time  were  the  following: 
William,  Elizabeth,  Catherine,  John  N.,  James,  Alvira  and 
John  D.  Alkine ;  Thompson,  H.  D.,  Tomsey,  Margaret  and 
Elizabeth  Hughes ;  Joseph  N.  Peeler ;  Amanda  and  AleHssa 
Whipp;  J.  N.,  Franklin,  Jemima,  Stephen  and  Ervilla  Pow- 
ell; Lucinda  Propst ;  George,  Madeline,  Edward  and  Marea 
Blane;  Arminda,  O.  P.,  Nancy,  George  W.  and  Louisa 
Bracken ;  Charles,  Cleva  and  Susan  Montgomery ;  Jane  and 
Mary  Ann  Swank ;  Louisa  Gibbs,  Malinda  Taylor,  Angline 
Shure,  William  and  Thrissa  McFadden ;  William,  Elizabeth 
and  Catherine  Engle ;  Elizabeth,  Jane  and  Abner  Peccla ; 
Putnam  Brown,  Cloe  Creviston,  F.  P.  Cowan,  Hermann  and 
Sarah  Sykes.  At  that  date,  William  Alkine  was  an  elder 
and  William  Engle  was  chosen  to  that  office.  Thompson 
Hughes  and  Joseph  N.  Peeler  w^ere  the  deacons.  J.  N. 
Powell  was  an  evangelist.  ]\Irs.  Elizabeth  Propst  and  her 
husband  were  killed  on  their  way  to  Oregon  by  Indians. 

Wm.   Ribea,   a   minister   of   the    Christian    Denomination, 


328  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

preached  in  this  community  after  the  congregation  had  left 
that  fellowship.  He  affirmed  that  they  had  departed  from 
the  ground  they  once  occupied.  He  hence  instituted  a  new 
church,  to  which  some  of  the  members  attached  themselves. 

About  1866  another  disturbance  arose  relative  to  employ- 
ing J.  K.  Speer  as  their  minister.  It  was  held  that  he  taught 
''soul  sleeping"  and  kindred  theories.  The  questions  were 
threshed  out  in  a  public  debate  in  January,  1867.  Mr.  Speer 
affirmed  that  "death  extinguishes  man's  conscious  existence." 
]\Iin.  L.  M.  Linn  opposed.  The  church  then  numbered  about 
230  members.  About  twenty-three  persons  followed  Mr. 
Speer,  including  one  elder  and  one  deacon.  They  built  a 
chapel,  but  discussions  among  themselves  soon  ended  the 
society.  The  Presbyterians  bought  the  house.  A  few 
returned  to  the  church. 

In  the  earlier  years.  Dr.  W.  A.  Mallory,  Peter  Vogel,  T. 
W.  Rainey  and  E.  G.  Rice  preached  for  the  congregation. 
For  many  years  C.  E.  Smoot  gave  them  most  helpful  service. 
About  thirty  others  have  preached  here. 

The  present  large  brick  church  was  built  in  1861.  The 
old  chapel  is  now  used  as  a  dwelling. 

The  church  ordained  to  the  ministry  D.  I.  Hughes,  Dr. 
L.  A.  Engle  and  C.  E.  Smoot. 

Tallula. 

Organized  1834,  by  Theophilus  Sweet ;  present  member- 
ship, 200;  value  of  propertv,  $5,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 200. 

In  October,  1834,  "the  church  of  Christ  in  Clary's  Grove" 
was  formed  oi  the  six  following  persons:  John  Willson, 
William  G.  White,  Jane  White,  Jesse  L.  Trailor,  Obedience 
Trailer  and  Miss  Lydia  Ann  Caldwell.  James  W.  Simpson 
and  wife  came  from  Kentucky  the  following  year  and  at 
once  united  with  the  church.  Their  meetings  were  held  in 
their  residences  and  the  old-time  schoolhouse  until  the  chapel 
was  built  in  1844.  After  serving  them  twenty  years,  it  was 
sold. 


CHURCHES  329 

Besides  Mr.  Sweet,  this  church  was  ministered  to  by 
Robert  Foster,  B.  W.  Stone,  Maurice  R.  Trimble,  W.  W. 
Happy,  W.  H.  Brown  and  others  of  the  heroes  of  the  faith. 
But  the  congregation  always  met  for  the  divinely  appointed 
worship  upon  the  Lord's  Days. 

The  coming  of  a  railway  built  Tallula,  and  the  place  of 
meeting  and  local  name  were  accordingly  changed.  The 
Tallula  chapel  was  dedicated  by  John  O'Kane  in  January, 
1865.  From  first  to  last,  this  church  has  been  served  by 
about  fifty  preachers. 

This  church  has  held  in  its  fellowship  an  unusual  num- 
ber of  brainy,  forceful  and  helpful  men  and  women. 
Colonel  Judy  and  his  wife,  Dr.  J.  F.  Willson  and  wife,  W. 
G.  Green,  and  not  a  few  others,  were  of  this  class. 

MERCER    COUNTY. 

Keithsbiirg. 

Organized  1864,  by  Elias  Shortridge ;  present  member- 
ship, 142;  value  of  property,  $5,200;  Bible  school  began 
1866;  present  enrollment,  128. 

The  organization  of  the  church  was  made  in  the  old 
brick  schoolhouse  three  miles  east  of  town.  Prayer-meetings 
were  held  there  every  Sunday  when  no  preacher  was  present. 
Ministers  Shortridge,  Speer,  Warren,  Fiske  and  Lucas 
preached  there  and  in  the  courthouse  in  the  town,  which 
was  the  meeting-place  within  a  year  or  two.  Levi  Ender 
gave  the  ground  and  the  first  chapel  was  occupied  in  1866. 
This  was  enlarged  and  reconstructed  in   1909. 

There  were  about  fifty  members  when  the  first  chapel 
was  built,  all  of  whom  have  gone  hence  except  Josephus 
Ogle  and  wife,  of  Waterville,  Wash.,  who  wait  in  the  dawn 
of  the  endless  day.  They  were  consecrated  members  and 
most  helpful  to  the  church. 

Among  the  ministers  who  have  served  the  church  there 
were  J.  B.  Royal,  Mr.  Kincaid,  M.  Jones,  L.  M.  Linn,  James 
Connoran,   F.   M.   Branic,  Wm.   G.   Smith,  J.   E.   Parker,   E. 


330  HISTORY    OF    THE    DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Ward,  G.  E.  Sheerer,  A.  A.  Burr,  J.  Quinlan,  W.  E.  Meloan, 
John  Larimore  and  L.  F.  DePoisters. 

S.  M.  Booie  was  an  efficient  and  faithful  elder  in  the 
congregation   for  fifteen  years — till  his  death  in   1893. 

The  church  has  given  to  the  ministry  F.  VV.  and  F.  A. 
Emmerson. 

New  Boston. 

Organized  1902,  by  G.  E.  Sheerer ;  present  membership, 
152;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  64. 

Ohio  Grove   (Aledo). 

Present  membership,  40;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  7S. 

This  church  is  six  miles  southeast  of  Aledo.  It  is  an 
old  congregation. 

In  the  sixties  there  was  a  congregation  at  the  village  of 
Sunbeam  that  was  probably  the  progenitor  of  Ohio  Grove. 

MONTGOMERY    COUNTY. 

Barnett. 

Organized  1878,  by  J.  S.  Sweeney ;  present  membership, 
40;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible-school  enrollment,  40. 

This  was  first  known  as  the  Shaw's  Point  Church  and 
moved  after  the  town  grew  on  the  new  railroad.  While  in 
the  country,  it  had  a  large  and  influential  membership. 

Harvel. 

Organized  1888,  by  Isaac  Beckelhymer;  present  member- 
ship, 89 ;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $2,300 ; 
Bible  school  began  1888;  present  enrollment,  80. 

Daniel  Adams  led  in  the  formation  of  this  congregation. 
Evangelist  Beckelhymer  led  in  a  three  weeks'  meeting  and 
organized  with  twenty-three  members.  These  meetings  were 
held  in  the  M.  E.  chapel,  for  which  the  community  had  paid 
with  the   understanding  that   it   should  be    for   all   Christian 


CHURCHES  -  331 

people.  In  another  meeting  the  next  year  the  doors  were 
closed  against  Mr.  Beckelhymer.  A  chapel  was  soon  finished. 
The  church  was  once  temporarily  crippled  by  an  unwor- 
thy pastor  from  Arkansas.  Air.  Beckelhymer  is  held  in  high 
regard  by  this  church.  They  have  had  many  protracted 
meetings  and  have  always  maintained  the  order  of  the  Lord's 
house  on  the  Lord's  Day.     H.  M.  Carey  is  clerk. 

Hillsboro. 

Organized  1905,  by  E.  O.  Sharpe;  present  membership, 
60;  value  of  property,  $2,200;  Bible  school  began  1905; 
present  enrollment,  64. 

Mr.  Sharpe,  as  evangelist  of  the  Fifth  District,  first 
preached  in  the  courthouse  in  1904.  A  series  of  meetings, 
continuing  fifty-one  days,  was  led  by  Evangelists  Lawrence 
and  Edward  Wright.  There  were  seventy-one  charter  mem- 
bers. Mr.  Sharpe  became  the  first  pastor.  A  good  lot  was 
bought  and  the  chapel  finished  in  1909.  J.  W.  Wilkes  is 
clerk. 

Irznng. 

Organized  1853;  present  membership,  100;  value  of 
property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1890;  present  enroll- 
ment, 75. 

There  were  eighteen  charter  members,  some  of  whom 
were:  J.  M.  Taulbee;  James,  Nancy  and  Maria  Markham ; 
Elijah,  Mary,  William  and  Eliza  Osborn ;  James  Osborn  and 
wife  and  son;  Henry  Lowery  and  wife  and  two  daughters. 
Maria  Markham  is  the  sole  survivor.  They  held  their  meet- 
ings in  the  schoolhouse  when  it  was  available  and  in  groves 
in  the  summer-time.  Ministers  Ward  and  Taulbee  preached 
when  a  place  could  be  secured.  In  1876,  Minister  Gilbert 
reorganized  the  congregation  with  twenty-one  members.  In 
1878  a  chapel  was  built  and  L.  M.  Linn  served  the  church 
one-half  time.  W.  H.  Boles  held  a  great  meeting  in  1885. 
Then  J.  H.  Garrison  preached  for  the  church.  Finis  Idle- 
man  held  the  congregation   a  good  meeting.     The  resident 


332  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

pastor  is  C.  W.  Garst.  W.  M.  Berry  has  led  the  Bible 
school  faithfully  and  efficiently  as  superintendent  since  its 
beginning.  B.  B.  Tyler  held  a  meeting  here,  as  district 
evangelist,  in  1863,  which  he  then  thought  a  failure,  but  it 
gave  J.  C.  Mason,  now  of  Texas,  to  the  church  and  to  the 
Christian  ministry. 

Litchfield. 

Organized  1856,  by  J.  C.  Reynolds ;  present  membership, 
742;  value  of  property,  $11,000;  Bible  school  began  1856; 
present  enrollment,  743. 

Minister  Reynolds  was  evangelizing  under  the  direction 
of  the  State  Board  w^hen  the  church  was  constituted.  Among 
the  first  who  preached  there  were  Ministers  Sims,  W.  H. 
Brown,  J.  W.  Kellar,  J.  S.  Sweeney  and  B.  B.  Tyler. 

First  a  small  frame  chapel  was  built.  Later  a  one-room 
brick  building.  During  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Purlee  the 
present  edifice  was  erected  at  the  corner  of  Union  Avenue 
and  Harrison  Street. 

Among  those  who  did  faithful  service  in  establishing  the 
church  there  were  W.  C.  Henderson,  H.  A.  Jones,  Thomas 
Harlow,  M.  C.  Hoagland,  Mrs.  Matilda  O'Bannon  and  Mrs. 
Adeline  Elliott. 

Charles  W.  Ross  closed  a  very  successful  pastorate  of 
several  years  in  1913.     I.  W.  Agee  is  the  present  pastor. 

Pleasant  Hill   (Barnett). 

Present  membership,  71 ;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  58. 

Raymond. 

Organized  1871,  by  Minister  Ewing;  present  membership, 
156;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1871; 
present  enrollment,  151. 

Meetings  were  held  in  a  storeroom  for  a  year  when  the 
chapel,  which  is  still  used  for  public  worship,  was  built. 
Min.  J.  W.  Ballinger  reorganized  the  church  in  1875  with 
forty-three  members  and  served  as  pastor  for  two  to  three 


CHURCHES  333 

years.  The  officers  at  that  time  were  J.  R.  Wylder,  Orman 
White,  J.  \V.  Potts,  D.  J.  Parrott  and  Isaac  Dodson,  elders; 
J.  H.  Nevins,  T.  J.  Scott,  W.  A.  Parrott  and  S.  W.  McElroy, 
deacons.  Then  there  was  occasional  preaching  by  sundry 
ministers  till  1890.  Isaac  Beckelhymer  then  served  as  pastor 
and  was  followed  by  others.  The  congregation  has  had 
about  thirteen   protracted   meetings   by   as  many   evangelists. 

Miss  Lou  Watson  was  given  to  the  ministry  and  served 
the  church  efficiently  as  its  pastor. 

The  congregation  is  united  in  its  work,  has  a  good  C.  E. 
and  a  well-attended  mid-week  prayer-meeting.  Fred  Guthrie 
is  the  clerk;  C.  F.  Shaul,  pastor. 

Waggoner. 

Organized  1889,  by  Lsaac  Beckelhymer ;  present  member- 
ship, 114;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began 
1889 ;  present  enrollment,   79. 

The  Sulphur  Spring  congregation  was  organized  in  1857. 
Its  location  was  four  miles  west  of  Waggoner  on  the  east 
edge  of  Macoupin  County.  Its  first  elders  were  W.  H. 
Kent,  Wm.  Street,  Robert  Brown  and  C.  F.  Richard- 
son. It  served  the  community  well  during  the  period  of  its 
life  and  disbanded  in  1884.  The  building  is  now  used  for 
funerals  only.     A  large  cemetery  has   grown   around   it. 

The  Waggoner  congregation  was  organized  by  members 
from  Sulphur  Spring.  There  were  about  twenty  charter 
members.  Jefferson  Borton,  H.  H.  Beekman  and  Willis 
Plain  were  the  first  elders.  In  1890  the  ladies'  aid  society 
bought  two  lots  and  the  chapel  was  finished  in  1893.  Mean- 
while the  meetings  were  held  in  a  hall.  The  same  year 
Mrs.  McCoy  Crank  held  a  successful  revival.  The  congre- 
gation has  had  eleven  pastors.  Orin  Dilly  is  in  the  sixth 
year  of  a  very  helpful  pastorate. 

Walslrc'ille. 

Organized  1874,  by  T.  J.  Shelton ;  present  membership, 
50;  value  of  property,  $2,200;   Bible-school  enrollment,   56. 


334  HISTORY    OF    THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Min.  A.  D.  Northcutt  was  prominent  in  the  beginning  of 
this  effort.  The  organization  was  made  in  the  town  hall  with 
ten  charter  members.  With  little  social  influence  or  means, 
and  overshadowed  by  three  strong  denominations,  this  little 
band  trusted  God,  went  to  prayer  and  work  and  grew  up  to 
an    influential   position. 

The  pastors  were  L.  M.  Linn,  J.  H.  Garrison,  J.  H. 
Smart,  H.  P.  Tandy  and  L.  F.  Wood.  For  several  years 
the  Baptist  chapel  was  used.  In  1878  a  very  neat  house  of 
worship  was  built.  A  number  of  ministers  preached  for  the 
congregation  through  several  years.  In  1904  their  chapel 
was  destroyed  by  fire.  The  Bible  school  secured  the  priv- 
ilege of  using  the  M.  E.  chapel,  but  was  turned  out  the 
next  year.     The  second  building  was  finished  early  in   1908. 

J.  E.  Story,  Miss  Rachael  Dangerfield  and  Isaac  Beckel- 
hymer  have  served  the  congregation  in  recent  years.  Miss 
Dangerfield  was  the  pastor  when   the   last   house  was   built. 

There  is  a  good  C.  E.,  and  the  congregation  is  active 
under  the  ministry  of  W.  A.  Green.    T.  O.  Tiffin  is  the  clerk. 

MORGAN    COUNTY. 

Antioch  (Jacksonville). 

Organized  1833,  by  D.  P.  Henderson ;  present  member- 
ship, 40;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $5,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  45. 

The  location  is  seven  miles  east  of  Jacksonville,  on  the 
Springfield  road.  The  neighborhood  was  settled  by  people 
from  Kentucky,  many  of  whom  were  Disciples  before  leav- 
ing that  State.  For  a  time  meetings  were  held  in  residences. 
In  1835  a  substantial  frame  building  was  erected.  This 
housed  the  congregation  till  1876,  when  it  was  sold  to  Isaac 
Findall,  who  moved  it  to  his  farm,  where  it  is  still  used  as 
a  shop  and  carriage-house.  In  that  year  the  present  com- 
fortable house  was  built  during  the  pastorate  of  M.  M. 
Goode.  He  was  highly  esteemed  there  for  his  personal 
worth  and  for  his  work. 


CHURCHES  335 

A.  Campbell  and  B.  W.  Stone  visited  the  church  in  its 
early  period.  Mr.  Stone  died  near  there  and  his  body  rested 
in  its  cemetery  for  a  time.  Other  ministers  who  served  the 
church  were  E.  G.  Rice,  M.  R.  Elder,  J.  B.  Graves,  J.  W. 
Strawn  and  H.  P.  Shaw.  Mr.  Shaw  and  his  wife  left  the 
congregation  to  go  as  missionaries  to  China. 

During  the  past  twenty  years  many  of  its  members  have 
rented  their  farms  and  moved  to  the  city;  hence  the  struggle 
to  exist. 

Berea  (Prentice). 

Organized  1852 ;  present  membership,  75 ;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $550;  Bible-school  enrollment,  35. 

The  church  was  organiz2d  August  15,  with  twenty-five 
charter  members.     A  part  of  the  agreement  was  as  follows : 

We,  the  body  of  Christ,  agree  to  organize  ourselves  after  the  prim- 
itive practice ;  to  watch  over  one  another  and  to  admonish  each  other, 
for  our  good;  to  take  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments 
for  our  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  .  .  .  We  agree  to  continue  stead- 
fastly in  the  apostles'  doctrine,  in  fellowship,  in  breaking  of  bread  and 
in  prayers  ...  to  be  known  as  the  church  of  Christ  on  Indian  Creek, 
meeting  at  Morgan  Schoolhouse  No.  2. 

Charles  Rowe  was  chosen  elder,  and  Joel  Robinson  and 
Wesley  Corrington,  deacons.  Mr.  Rowe  was  a  product  of 
this  church  and  served  it  as  elder  and  preacher  for  six 
years.  Most  of  the  first  members  came  from  the  Antioch 
congregation.  It  was  ministered  to  at  times  by  most  of  the 
preachers  of  that  time  and  section.  Four  of  its  leading 
members  were  Joel  and  Isaac  Robinson,  Dr.  John  C.  Cobb 
and  Benjamin  Mclntyre. 

Chapin. 

Organized  1875,  by  H.  C.  Cassell ;  present  membership, 
240;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $5,000;  Bible 
school  began   1875 ;  present  enrollment,   108. 

The  earliest  organization  of  a  church  of  Christ  in  this 
community  was  the  old  ]\Ianvaisterre  or  Jordon  congrega- 
tion, three  miles  east  of  the  site  of  Chapin.     In  March,  1839, 


336  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

nine  Disciples  of  Christ  entered  into  a  covenant  to  observe 
the  ordinances  of  the  Lord  as  revealed  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. They  were  Nathaniel  and  Martha  LI.  Fisk,  Thomas 
O.  and  Nancy  Taylor,  Jane  Hill,  Mary  Boyd,  Catherine 
Gillpatrick,  and  Nathan  J.  and  Mary  Averitt.  Mr.  Fisk  was 
the  first  preacher  and  served  the  church  four  and  a  half 
years. 

Meetings  were  held  in  homes  and  schoolhouses  till  a 
chapel  was  built.  It  stood  in  the  cemetery  that  is  still  used. 
This  congregation  grew  till  its  members  were  scattered 
through  that  entire  region.  For  the  accommodation  of  those 
residing  toward  the  northwest,  the  Bethel  congregation  was 
formed  at  a  point  one  and  a  half  miles  from  the  site  of 
Chapin.  This  was  a  part  of  the  Manvaisterre  Church  until 
the  time  of  the  Civil  War,  when  Minister  Mclntire  organ- 
ized a  church.  The  shifting  population  and  the  coming  of 
railways  long  since  carried  it  away. 

A  colony  from  the  old  church  moved  into  Macon  County 
and  formed  the  nuclei  of  the  Long  Point  and  Niantic  con- 
gregations. It  was  a  fruitful  hive,  and  the  influences  of  the 
Taylors,  Averitts,  Boyds.  Jones,  Tichnors,  Bobbitts,  Camp- 
bells, Strodes,  Riggs,  Hatfields,  Pruitts,  Mansfields  and  many 
others  of  their  time  are  yet  widely  out-reaching.  They  were 
heroes  of  the  faith  in  their  day  the  fragrance  of  whose  mem- 
ories yet  lingers. 

In  1877  twenty- four  people  from  the  Jordon  and  Bethel 
congregations  enrolled  into  the  Chapin  Church,  so  this 
church  came  of  fine  spiritual  ancestry.  The  Congregational 
chapel  was  bought,  which  served  until  the  present  building 
was  erected  in  1902.  It  has  given  to  the  ministry  F.  W. 
Burnham  and  Ivan  W.  Agee.  Since  its  formation  more  than 
five  hundred  people  have  been  led  by  it  in  the  way  of  Hfe. 

Concord. 

Organized  1868,  bv  William  Rice;  present  membership, 
96:  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began  1868; 
present  enrollment,  90. 


CHURCHES  337 

Christian  ministers  preached  about  the  site  of  Concord 
in  the  early  sixties.  A  chapel  was  built  seven  miles  to  the 
northwest,  which  was  sold  to  the  Lutherans  and  then  another 
was  built  in  the  town.     This  house  was  rebuilt  in  1911. 

Twenty-four  ministers  have  served  the  church,  which  has 
done  good  work.     S.  M.  Henderson  is  an  elder  and  the  clerk. 

Franklin. 

Present  membership,  140;  value  of  property,  including 
parsonage,   $4,900;   Bible-school   enrollment,    120. 

Jacksonville   ( Central ) . 

Organized  1832,  by  B.  W.  Stone ;  present  membership, 
1,200;  value  of  property,  $85,000;  Bible  school  began  1860; 
present  enrollment,  900. 

This  church  was  organized  in  October  in  the  old  court- 
house that  stood  near  the  southwest  corner  of  the  square. 
There  w^ere  seventy-two  charter  members.  Among  them 
were  Harrison  W.  Osborne,  Philip  Coffman,  John  T.  Jones 
and  Josephus  Hewitt — all  leading  spirits. 

The  meetings  for  public  worship  were  continued  in  the 
courthouse  and  residences  of  the  members  until  a  chapel  was 
built  on  Beardstown  Street,  which  is  now  North  Main 
Street.  This  chapel  served  until  the  early  fifties,  when,  dur- 
ing the  pastorate  of  A.  J.  Kane,  a  two-story  brick  building- 
was  erected  on  the  same  street.  Joel  Pledington  taught 
school  in  this  house.  It  was  in  use  till  1869,  when,  during 
the  pastorate  of  Enos  Campbell,  a  new  brick  house  was  built 
on  East  State  Street.  This  was  enlarged  and  remodeled  in 
1888,  while  A.  N.  Gilbert  was  pastor.  The  present  stone 
structure  was  finished  during  the  pastorate  of  R.  F.  Thrapp 
in  1906. 

Throughout  its  life  this  church  has  always  held  a  goodly 
number  of  representative  citizens.  Its  ministers  also  have 
generally  been  men  of  a  high  type.  Among  the  pioneers, 
besides  those  above  named,  there  were  Henry  Cyrus,  the 
first   pastor;   Jerry   jLancaster,   Jonathan   Atkinson,    W.    W. 


338  HISTORY    OF    THE    DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

Happy  and  D.  P.  Henderson.  The  church  was  divided  dur- 
ing the  pastorate  of  W.  S.  Russel  by  his  unscriptural  teach- 
ing. The  two  parties  came  to  a  mutual  agreement  in  1866, 
and  under  the  superior  ministry  of  Enos  Campbell  were 
welded  into  one.  The  teaching  of  Mr.  Russel  not  only 
crippled  the  church  for  a  time,  but  also  affected  adversely 
other  congregations  in  the  county  and  lost  to  the  Disciples 
Berean  College. 

W.  W.  Happy,  Sr.  and  Jr.,  James  Stark  and  William 
Gilliam  were  ordained  to  the  ministry  by  this  congregation. 

The  pastorate  of  Mr.  Thrapp  ''was  characterized  by 
splendid  missionary  expansion  and  progressive  civic  reform." 

This  is  a  great  church,  abounding  in  many  good  works. 

Jacksonville  ( Negro ) . 

Organized  1904,  by  E.  i\L  Harlis ;  present  membership, 
35;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1894; 
present  enrollment,  25. 

A  mission  Bible  school  was  begun  by  Minister  Harlis 
on  South  Mauvaisterre  Street  in  1894.  This  was  fostered 
by  the  First  Christian  Church  and  especially  by  Mrs.  E.  C. 
Ewing.  Ten  years  afterward  this  mission  grew  into  a 
church.  Mr.  Harlis  has  been  faithful  in  his  work.  He  still 
ministers  to  the  congregation.  The  C.  E.  numbers  twenty- 
five. 

Literherry. 

Organized  1869,  by  E.  W.  Clark ;  present  membership, 
160;  value  of  property,  $4,500;  Bible  school  began  1869; 
present  enrollment,  176. 

E.  G.  Rice  and  M.  M.  Goode  w^ere  two  of  the  early  min- 
isters.    The  church  is  now  active  and  zealous. 

Lynnville    ( Jacksonville ) . 

Organized  1833,  by  Barton  W.  Stone ;  present  member- 
ship, 140;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $4,500; 
Bible  school  began  1863;  present  enrollment,   138. 


CHURCHES  339 

The  church  was  constituted  in  the  residence  of  James 
Leeper.  The  officers  were  James  B.  and  WiUiam  Gordon, 
elders,  with  John  Banson,  James  Leeper  and  A.  A.  Wilson, 
deacons.  Besides  Mr.  Stone,  among  the  early  ministers 
there  were  D.  P.  Henderson,  Dr.  Robert  Foster,  W.  W. 
Happy,  Jonathan  Atkinson,  A.  J.  Kane,  E.  L.  Craig  and  E. 
G.  Rice. 

The  first  chapel,  built  in  1838,  was  a  union  house.  It 
was  sold  for  taxes  in  1848  and  bought  by  the  Disciples.  It 
gave  place  to  the  present  house  in  1882. 

This  church  ordained  A.  C.  Foster  and  Joseph  B.  Camp 
to  the  ministry. 

John  B.  Gordon  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  for  two  or 
three  terms,  in  the  seventies.  S.  F.  Campbell  and  Geo.  W. 
Camp  were  leading  members  of  the  church  and  citizens  in 
the  community  for  many  years.  Mr.  Camp  was  the  father 
of  John  B.,  Mark  D.  and  Joseph  B.  Camp. 

In  the  union  chapel  Min.  Peter  Akers,  of  the  M.  E. 
Church,  on  one  Sunday  preached  four  hours  in  order  "to 
keep  the  Campbellites   from   occupying  the  house  the   same 

^^'  Oak  Ridge  (Prentice). 

Organized  1876. 

The  location  is  twelve  miles  northeast  of  Jacksonville. 
The  members  of  a  congregation  that  had  worshiped  a  period 
at  the  old  Jordanville  Schoolhouse,  with  some  friends,  met 
on  March  18,  1876,  at  the  residence  of  Lewis  Hamilton. 
They  decided  to  build  a  chapel  at  the  old  Stockton  Cemetery. 
This  house  was  finished  in  1878. 

The  charter  members  were  Rosetta  Armstrong,  Samuel 
and  Catherine  Beach,  Margaret  Coker,  Margaret  Coulston ; 
Tyre,  John,  Julia  and  Anna  Brown ;  Mary  Demarest,  John 
Hamilton,  J.  L.  and  Mary  S.  Jordon,  Charles  Paul,  William 
Robinson,  Isaac  Smith,  and  A.  B.,  Elizabeth  and  Emma 
Wiswell.  The  elders  elected  were  John  Hamilton,  A.  B. 
Wiswell  and  Tyre  Brown. 

About  seventeen  preachers  have  served  the  congregation. 


340  HISTORY    OF    THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Waverly. 

Organized  1847,  by  Austin  Sims ;  present  membership, 
131;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began  1847; 
present  enrollment,  90. 

This  is  an  average  church  of  its  class. 

IVoodson. 

Organized  1869,  by  E.  G.  Rice  and  H.  W.  Osborne;  pres- 
ent membership,  151  ;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage, 
$4,500;  Bible  school  began  1868;  present  enrollment,  93. 

This  church  was  the  result  of  a  series  of  meetings  con- 
ducted by  Ministers  Osborne  and  Rice  in  the  schoolhouse  in 

1868.  There  were  thirty-five  charter  members,  some  of 
whom  came  from  the  "Old  Concord"  congregation.  The 
latter,  located  about  six  miles  northeast  of  Woodson,  was 
once  a  strong  and  prosperous  country  church,  but  the  adverse 
tides   carried   it   away.     The   Woodson   chapel   was   built   in 

1869.  Ministers  Osborne  and  Rice  first  preached  for  the 
congregation  for  several  years,  part  time.  William  Ferguson 
was  for  a  long  time  a  true  and  faithful  elder,  feeding  and 
leading  the  fiock. 

Dr.  G.  W.  Miller,  a  practicing  physician  of  the  town, 
having  served  the  church  well  as  an  elder,  was  ordained  to 
the  ministry  and  has  been  the  pastor  for  nineteen  years. 

The  church  is  well  organized  and  active  in  good  works. 

MOULTRIE  COUNTY. 

In  1832,  A.  H.  Kellar,  Abram  Southern,  Rebecca  Stevens, 
and  a  few  other  Baptists  from  Kentucky,  with  Joseph  and 
Solomon  Hostetler  and  their  wives  from  Indiana,  came 
together  in  November  and  organized  the  West  Okaw  Church 
of  Christ.  Joseph  Hostetler  was  an  ordained  minister,  while 
his  brother  Solomon  and  A.  H.  Kellar  were  teaching  elders. 
They  were  righteous  men,  full  of  zeal.  The  West  Okaw 
Church  may  properly  be  called  the  mother  of  all  the  Chris- 
tian Churches  in  the  county.    Its  meetings,  when  the  weather 


CHURCHES  341 

compelled,  were  held  in  the  twenty- feet-square  log  school- 
house,  with  stick-and-mud  chimney  at  the  west  and  with  a 
log  left  out  at  the  east  end  for  a  window.  It  had  what  was 
known  as  a  weight-pole  roof.  From  this  point  the  primi- 
tive gospel  began  and  continued  to  be  sounded  out.  From 
Cunningham's  Grove  on  the  north  to  Jerry  Provolt's  at  the 
forks  of  the  Okaw  on  the  south,  the  seeds  of  the  truth  were 
sown  by  this  pioneer  church. 

In  1837,  Levi  Flemiming,  a  zealous  preacher,  settled  on 
upper  Jonathan  Creek  and  laid  the  foundation  of  the  church 
there. 

Later  the  Lillys  and  the  Smysers  came  from  Kentucky 
and  settled  on  Whitley  Creek.  They  were  re-enforced  by 
Jackson  Storm,  a  preacher  from  Tennessee,  who,  like 
Apollos,  was  mighty  in  the  Scriptures ;  also  by  Tobias  Grider 
from  Indiana. 

These  Disciples  were  further  helped,  as  occasion  per- 
mitted or  required,  by  Bushrod  W.  Henry,  of  Shelby  County, 
and  John  W.  Tyler  and  Geo.  A.  Patterson,  of  Macon 
County.  These  were  all  men  whose  chief  learning  had  been 
acquired  in  the  school  of  the  great  Teacher. 

The  congregation  that  could  have  regular  preaching  once 
a  month  considered  itself  very  fortunate,  and  if  there  were 
no  additions  at  these  meetings  it  was  thought  something  was 
wrong.  There  were  giants  in  those  days  who  would  suc- 
cessfully grapple  with  sectarian  dogmas  and  throttle  the 
mightiest  champion  of  human  authority  as  binding  on  men's 
consciences. 

Levi  Flemming  and  Jackson  Storm  were  two  of  the 
pioneer  preachers  of  whom  the  printed  records  say  little,  but 
their  names  are  in  the  book  of  life  and  long  ago  they  went 
to  their  rewards  in  heaven. 

The  Wilburn  Creek  Church,  for  a  long  time  a  flourish- 
ing and  forceful  country  congregation,  yielding  to  the  law 
of  change,  has  disbanded. 

These  men  were  supremely  loyal  to  the  truth  and  with 
them  the  word  of  the  Lord  was  final. 


342  HISTORY    OF   THE    DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Allenville. 

Organized  1884,  by  H.  Y.  Keller ;  present  membership, 
200;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1895; 
present  enrollment,   113. 

The  church  met  for  worship  in  the  old  Nelson  School- 
house  until  the  chapel  was  built. 

Arthur. 

Organized  1882,  by  W.  F.  Black ;  present  membership, 
132;  value  of  property,  $10,000;  Bible  school  began  1882; 
present  enrollment,   168. 

This  church  grew  out  of  a  series  of  meetings  led  by 
Evangelist  Black.  It  was  organized  in  an  implement  store. 
A  chapel  was  finished  in  the  fall  of  1883.  This  gave  place 
at  the  close  of  1909  to  the  present  house,  costing  $8,000. 
Joel  T.  Davis  was  then  pastor. 

Bethany. 

Organized  1881,  by  S.  B.  Lindsey;  present  membership, 
180;  value  of  property,  $4,500;  Bible  school  began  1881; 
present  enrollment,  89. 

There  were  twenty  charter  members.  The  first  elders 
were  Charles  Ronley,  A.  S.  Younger  and  G.  W.  Logan,  and 
the  first  deacons,  W.  W.  Lennell,  William  Gough  and  W. 
J.  Ledbretter. 

The  house  of  worship  was  completed  and  occupied  at  the 
close  of  1882. 

Cadiiell. 

Organized  1902,  by  J.  O.  Henry ;  present  membership, 
86;  value  of  property,  $3,500;  Bible  school  began  1902; 
present  enrollment,  68. 

Organized  in  a  schoolhouse.  Church  built  the  next  year. 
A  fine  community.  Rich  soil,  with  very  muddy  roads  in  wet 
weather.     A  C.  W.  B.  M. 


CHURCHES  343 

D  alt  on  City, 

Organized  1865,  by  John  W.  Sconce;  present  member- 
ship, 73;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1865; 
present  enrollment,   51. 

About  the  year  1865,  John  W.  Sconce,  assisted  by  J.  W. 
Tyler,  of  Decatur,  and  Jackson  Page,  of  Shelby ville,  formed 
a  church  of  Christ  in  the  New  Hope  Schoolhouse  near  Free- 
land's  Point.  When  Mr.  Sconce  settled  in  Dalton  City,  in 
187v3,  through  his  earnest  effort  a  church  building  was  put 
up  there  and  the  congregations  at  New  Hope  transferred 
their  place  of  meeting  thither. 

Gays. 

Organized  1869,  by  Thomas  Goodman ;  present  member- 
ship, 150;  value  of  property,  $1,800;  Bible  school  began 
1871  ;  present  enrollment,  104. 

Met  in  schoolhouse  for  two  years,  when  chapel  was  fin- 
ished and  occupied.  The  first  elders  were  Edward  Rouse 
and  W.  S.  Colson ;  the  first  deacons,  W.  T.  Watson  and  S. 
P.  Bristow.     E.  C.  Harrison  is  now  the  clerk. 

Jonathan's  Creek    (Sullivan). 

Organized  1859,  by  Christie  Hostetler ;  present  member- 
ship, 70;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began 
1862;   present  enrollment,   80. 

Organized  in  the  Landers  Schoolhouse,  where  it  met  for 
three  years.  In  1862  a  church  house  had  been  built  at  the 
Jonathan's  Creek  Cemetery,  and  was  occupied.  This  gave 
place  to  a  new  house  in   1891. 

David  Campbell  was  given  to  the  ministry. 

The  church  is  six  miles  east  of  SulHvan. 

Lake  City. 

Organized  1886,  by  Minister  Gates ;  present  membership, 
33;  value  of  property,  $800;  Bible  school  began  1886;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  32. 


344  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

John  T.  Howell,  John  McMullin,  and  John  and  Frank 
Lovings  and  their  families,  led  in  the  formation  of  this 
church.  The  chapel  was  built  the  same  year.  There  are 
many  Irish  Papists  in  the  community.  After  a  few  years 
members  of  the  church  began  to  sell  their  farms  and  move. 
This  continued  until  only  a  few  Disciples  are  left. 

Loz'ington. 

Organized  1832,  by  Joseph  Hostetler ;  present  member- 
ship, 408;  value  of  property,  $12,000;  Bible  school  began 
1865 ;  present  enrollment,  324. 

On  Nov.  17,  1832,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  home  of 
Nathan  Stevens,  one  mile  west  of  the  place  where  Lovington 
has  grown,  on  the  Okaw  River,  and  a  church  was  organized 
with  seventeen  members.  Joseph  Hostetler,  who  had  come 
from  Indiana  that  year,  was  the  leader  in  this  work.  He 
and  his  brother  Solomon  had  been  preachers  in  the  German 
Baptist  Church,  but  were  now  proclaiming  the  primitive 
gospel.  A.  H.  Kellar,  a  farmer  and  Regular  Baptist 
preacher,  associated  himself  with  them.  These  three  were 
the  first  elders.  The  church  w^as  known  as  the  Okaw 
Church  of  Christ.  The  meetings  for  public  worship  were 
held  in  the  residences  and  schoolhouses  until  1846.  Then  a 
small  frame  building  was  erected  one  mile  south  of  the  site 
of  Lovington,  on  the  old  Kellar  farm — now  the  Lovington 
Cemetery.  The  congregation  sustained  a  steady  growth 
under  the  leadership  of  Min.  H.  Y.  Kellar  until  1866.  In 
that  year  a  large  frame  building  was  erected  on  the  present 
church  site  in  Lovington.  This  w^as  used  until  1901,  when 
the  present  church  was  built.  It  is  a  large,  modern  brick 
structure,  well  adapted  to  the  work  of  the  church.  F.  C. 
Overbaugh  was  the  pastor  at  that  time.  The  church  now 
has  nine  elders  and  thirteen  deacons,  the  largest  Bible  school 
in  Moultrie  County,  with  Senior  and  Junior  C.  E.   societies. 

This  church  has  given  to  the  ministry  Finis  Idleman 
and  Paul  E.  Million.  H.  Y.  Kellar  came  from  the  Okaw 
Church. 


CHURCHES  345 

Smyser  (Gays). 

Organized  1837,  by  Tobias  Grider;  present  membership, 
180;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1858; 
present   enrollment,   63. 

This  is  frequently  called  the  Whitley  Creek  Church  from 
the  near-by  stream  of  water  of  that  name.  S.  M.  Smyser 
was  one  of  the  leading  members  in  the  early  days ;  hence  it 
came  to  be  known  by  his  name.  Its  location  is  about  seven 
miles  northwest  of  Mattoon.  The  charter  members  were 
John  and  Synthia  Hendricks,  S.  M.  and  Rebecca  Smyser, 
Polly  A.  Hendricks  and  John  Hendricks,  Jr.  Their  names 
are  fragrant  remembrances.  A  church  home  was  built  at 
once.  It  was  used  till  1875,  when  the  present  house  was 
erected.  Tobias  Grider,  Jack  Storms  and  B.  W.  Henry 
preached  there  in  the  thirties  and  forties.  S.  M.  Smyser 
and  A.  H.  Edwards  were  efficient  elders  who  served  the 
church  for  a  long  time.  In  the  sixties,  J.  G.  Waggoner  was 
"working  the  roads"  in  that  community.  At  the  time,  S.  M. 
Connor  was  holding  a  series  of  meetings  there,  and  became 
sick.  Mr.  Smyser  said  to  Mr.  Waggoner:  "Go  home  and 
get  ready  to  preach  to-night."  Had  this  church  done  nothing 
more  in  its  seventy-five  years  than  produce  and  give  to  the 
world  J.  G.  Waggoner,  its  work  would  have  been  most  com- 
mendable. J.  H.  McCormick,  E.  L.  Lilly,  J.  D.  Layton  and 
Henry  Boyd  are  the  present  elders. 

Sullivan. 

Organized  1840,  by  Levi  Fleming;  present  membership, 
561;  value  of  property,  $15,000;  Bible  school  began  1856; 
present  enrollment,  219. 

Before  the  town  of  Sullivan  was  laid  out,  a  little  church 
was  formed  at  Asa's  Creek  by  Min.  Levi  Fleming,  in  the 
home  of  Levi  Patterson.  It  made  little  progress  until  reg.r- 
ganized  by  B.  W.  Henry  in  1846  with  fourteen  members. 
This  church  worshiped  in  the  schoolhouse  in  Sullivan,  which 
was  also  used  as  a  courthouse  at  that  time.    The  lack  of  a 


346  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

suitable  and  permanent  place  of  worship,  and  internal  dis- 
cord, retarded  the  growth  of  the  church.  Later,  A.  H.  and 
H.  G.  Kellar  set  things  in  order  and  a  number  came  in  from 
the  Lovington  Church.  About  1852  a  series  of  meetings, 
conducted  by  Mins.  John  Wilson  and  B.  W.  Henry,  was  held 
in  the  M.  E.  Church.  A  house  of  worship  was  finished  and 
occupied  in  1853.  In  after  years  revivals  were  conducted 
by  A.  J.  Kane,  William  Mathes,  W.  M.  Brown,  Milton  Hop- 
kins, W.  F.  Black,  A.  L  Hobbs,  T.  A.  Boyer  and  C.  R.  Sco- 
ville.  In  the  fifties,  Mins.  J.  S.  Etheridge,  B.  W.  Henry, 
H.  Y.  and  Dr.  A.  L.  Kellar  moved  to  Sullivan  and  con- 
tributed much  to  the  growth  of  the  church.  Later  there 
came  J.  R.  Lucas,  L.  P.  Phillips,  N.  S.  Bastian  and  James 
Hyatt.  At  the  beginning  of  his  second  year  the  church  was 
divided,  but  was  reunited  five  years  thereafter.  There  fol- 
lowed J.  M.  Morgan,  Dr.  A.  L.  Kellar,  Thomas  Edwards, 
L.  C.  Haulman,  E.  H.  Kellar,  J.  S.  Clements,  J.  P.  Davis, 
G.  E.  Piatt,  B.  C.  Lamplugh,  A.  J.  DeMiller,  J.  E.  Diehl, 
J.  M.  Bovee,  Edwards  Davis,  M.  J.  Martin,  Amzi  Atwater, 
T.  F.  Weaver,  E.  W.  Brickert,  E.  E.  Curry,  H.  A.  Davis, 
J.  M.  McNutt,  J.  W.  Waters,  J.  W.  Kilborn  and  W.  B. 
Hopper,  the  present  pastor. 

In  July,  1901,  a  new  and  commodious  brick  building  was 
finished  and  occupied. 

The  church  has  an  L.  A.  society,  C.  W.  B.  M.  auxiliary 
and  girls'  missionary  circle. 

The  church  at  Sullivan  was  not  singular  in  its  damaging 
experiences.  Not  a  few  of  those  that  are  now  strong  and 
efficient  passed  through  similar  trials.  The  preachers  were 
not  always  wise.  But  their  problems  were  many  and  the 
support  for  their  families  came  largely  from  their  manual 
toil,  and  they  held  to  no  principles  of  self-seeking  poli- 
ticians. Oftener  disturbances  arose  from  men  of  partial 
knowledge  and  small  vision  who  assumed  to  be  bosses  rather 
than  leaders  in  the  congregation.  They  were  generally  good 
men  with  confused  aims.  Happily  such  conditions  have 
largely  passed. 


CHURCHES  347 

Union  Prairie   (Arthur). 

Organized  1870,  by  Nathan  Wright;  present  membership, 
47;  value  of  property,  $4,000;  Bible  school  began  1873; 
present  enrollment,  35. 

Among  the  ministers  who  have  served  the  church,  there 
were  David  Campbell,  Abram  Bovie,  James  Connor,  Thomas 
Goodman,  Harmon  Gregg,  H.  Y.  Kellar,  J.  O.  Henry,  Clin- 
ton Hostetler,  W.  M.  Gordon,  L.  M.  Mulligan  and  John 
Howell. 

The  congregation  has  a  good  house  for  worship,  located 
three  and  one-half  miles  west  of  Arthur  and  one-fourth 
mile  west  of  the  Douglas  County  line.  It  was  built  in  1865. 
Much  of  the  labor  was  donated  by  brethren  and  friends. 

The  Haneys  and  Powels  were  among  the  prominent 
charter  members. 

OGLE    COUNTY. 

Grand  Detour, 

Organized  1894,  by  J.  B.  Wright;  present  membership, 
27;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1895; 
present   enrollment,   34. 

This  little  church  was  a  child  of  persecution.  Minister 
WVight  began  to  preach  to  a  few  Disciples  there  in  a  union 
chapel.  Conversions  resulted  almost  immediately,  which 
called  for  an  organization.  This  was  made  with  thirty-one 
charter  members.  Meanwhile,  the  legal  owners  of  the  prop- 
erty shut  the  Disciples  out  of  the  chapel.  The  use  of  the 
schoolhouse  was  also  denied  them.  This  treatment  aroused 
the  interest  of  others,  so  that  five  months  thereafter  a  new 
church  house  was  ready  for  use. 

A  good  Bible  school  and  C.  E.  are  maintained. 

Mt.  Morris. 

Organized  1880,  by  J.  H.  Wright;  present  membership, 
93;  value  of  property,  $3,500;  Bible  school  began  1880; 
present  enrollment,   143. 

A  few  Disciples  had  held  some  meetings  for  worship  in 


348  HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

a  hall,  with  an  occasional  sermon  by  L.  D.  Waldo,  of  Rock- 
ford,  and  D.  R.  Howe,  of  Lanark.  In  March,  State  Evan- 
gelist Wright  organized  the  church  with  the  following 
twenty-eight  charter  members:  Mrs.  Sarah  Warner,  Mrs. 
Mary  E.  Thomas,  Mary  E.  Spielman,  Mrs.  Anna  I-X»ng,  Mrs. 
Rose  Diehl,  Mrs.  E.  Miller,  Geo.  S.  Kennedy,  Wm.  S.  and 
Catherine  Blake,  Charles  G.  and  Sarah  Blakslee,  Hattie 
Finnikle,  Mrs.  Eliza  Hammer,  Jacob  and  Susan  Keedy,  Mrs. 
Laura  Kennedy,  Charles  and  Mrs.  Vallee  Keedy;  Florence 
y.,  Fannie  and  Susan  Long;  Adam  Shaw,  Letha  Sprecher, 
Mrs.  Susan  Thomas,  Anna  and  Mildred  F.  Thomas,  and 
Mary  E.  and  Clay  Wagner.  Of  these,  the  seven  first  named 
only  are  living. 

A  brick  building  was  bought  of  the  Lutherans  and  remod- 
eled. 

The  pastors  were  G.  W.  Ross,  J.  H.  Carr,  T.  B.  Stanley, 
J.  B.  Wright,  C.  T.  Spitler,  G.  W.  Pearl,  D.  G.  Wagner, 
D.  F.  Seyster,  Mr.  De  Roister,  Mr.  Goss,  Mr.  Hacker,  and 
now  H.  F.  Sayles. 

Those  given  to  the  ministry  are  J.  H.  Shellenberger,  Z. 
O.  Doward,  D.  H.  Wagner,  J.  W.  Baker,  W.  F.  Kohl  and 
H.  L.  Eyrick. 

Pine  Creek  (Polo). 

Organized  1860,  by  Robert  Moffett  and  Charles  Sher- 
wood ;  present  membership,  98 ;  value  of  property,  $3,500 ; 
Bible  school  began  1860;  present  enrollment,  55. 

This  is  one  of  the  truly  great  churches  of  Illinois.  It  is 
located  ten  miles  southeast  of  Polo.  Into  this  community 
there  came,  about  1857,  David  I.  Funk,  Charles  Widney, 
Abram  Witmer,  David  Bovey  and  other  kindred  spirits.  Mr. 
Funk  was  a  native  of  Washington  County,  Md.  For  thirty 
years  he  had  been  an  elder  in  the  ''Dunker"  Church,  but 
under  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Campbell  was  led  to  more 
Scriptural  ground.  He  died  in  1876  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
nine  years.  These  men,  with  their  families,  began  to  hold 
meetings    for  public  worship   in   the   Pennsylvania    Corners 


CHURCHES  349 

Schoolhouse.  Here  the  church  was  organized.  At  this 
meeting  Robert  Moffett  presided  and  C.  W.  Sherwood 
served  as  secretary.  The  officers  elected  were  Charles  Wid- 
ney,  Abram  Witmer,  G.  T.  Johnson,  elders,  with  David  I. 
Funk,  Daniel  Bovey  and  John  Welty,  deacons. 

The  chapel  was  built  at  the  same  "corners"  the  same  year. 
In  after  years  a  lecture-room  was  added  and  other  modern 
improvements  made.     It  still  serves  the  community  well. 

Of  the  earlier  preachers  who  served  the  church,  other 
than  Mr.  Sherwood  and  Mr.  MofTett,  were  Geo.  F.  John- 
ston, John  Ross,  Daniel  and  Henry  Howe,  L.  D.  Waldo, 
Adam  Adamson,  Mr.  Thornberry  and  Jasper  Moss;  later 
came  G.  L.  Applegate,  T.  B.  Stanley,  G.  W.  Ross,  J.  H. 
Carr,  G.  W.  Pearl,  W.  H.  McGinnis  and  J.  E.  Wright.  D. 
F.  Seyster  is  now  in  the  fifth  year  of  the  third  period  of 
his  pastorate. 

The  congregation  has  made  very  liberal  and  cheerful  con- 
tributions of  its  members  to  the  churches  at  Mt.  Morris, 
Polo,  Grand  Detour  and  Dixon. 

Besides,  the  following  men  have  been  given  by  this  fruit- 
ful mother  to  the  Christian  ministry:  Geo.  Hamilton,  D.  F. 
Seyster,  G.  A.  Miller,  L.  T.  Faulders,  C.  Roy  Stauffer  and 
C.  Lee  Stauffer.  This  church  has  indeed  walked  well  pleas- 
ing before  the  Lord  to  have  had  her  service  crowned  with 
such  significant  products. 

The  congregation  has  been  always  actively  interested  in 
all  missionary  and  benevolent  activities.  W^hen  the  question 
came  up  in  the  district  missionary  convention  of  trying  to 
establish  a  church  of  Christ  in  the  city  of  Sterling,  one  of 
the  delegates  of  the  Pine  Creek  congregation  spoke  with 
such  confidence  and  earnestness  that  the  vote  was  unanimous 
to  begin  the  effort  at  once.  Henry  H.  Powell  has  been 
Bible-school   superintendent  for  thirteen  consecutive  years. 

Besides  the  names  already  written,  those  of  Wilson, 
Hammer,  Drenner,  Johnson,  Wise,  Netz,  Pohrer,  Wolf, 
Sheely  and  Higby  will  be  honored  and  remembered  for 
fidelity  and  good  works. 


350  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Polo. 

Organized  1904,  by  B.  H.  Sealock;  present  membership, 
94;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1904; 
present  enrollment,  112. 

There  had  been  occasional  preaching  in  Polo  by  Christian 
ministers  before  the  formation  of  the  congregation.  The 
Pine  Creek  Church  gave  to  it  some  of  its  most  valued  mem- 
bers, but  with  the  kindest  spirit. 

The  Baptist  chapel  was  bought,  remodeled  and  repaired. 
John  M.  Grimes  is  the  pastor. 

PEORIA    COUNTY. 

Peoria  Central. 

Organized  1845 ;  present  membership,  635 ;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $40,000;  Bible  school  began  1855;  present  enrollment, 
792. 

There  were  twelve  charter  members.  The  last  of  these 
to  die  was  Mrs.  Eliza  Wadsworth  Smith,  who  passed  away 
in  1904.  The  first  elder  was  William  Til  ford,  and  the  first 
deacon,  Sampson  Schockley.  For  a  time  these  Disciples  met 
from  house  to  house  to  keep  the  Lord's  ordinances,  later  in 
the  engine-house  in  the  200  block  on  North  Adams  Street, 
and  afterward  in  the  old  courthouse.  The  first  church  build- 
ing was  erected,  costing  $3,600,  in  1855.  It  was  the  first 
public  building  in  the  city  with  a  self-supporting  roof.  Peo- 
ple said  it  would  fall  in,  but  it  still  stands  at  the  corner  of 
Franklin  Street  and  Seventh  Avenue.  The  present  location 
at  the  corner  of  Monroe  and  Fulton  Streets  was  bought  of 
the  "New  School  Presbyterians"  in  1875.  It  had  on  it  an 
old-fashioned  brick  building  that  was  comfortable,  but  unin- 
viting. Ira  J.  Chase  was  pastor  at  that  time.  A  modern 
and  convenient  edifice  was  erected  in  1894  during  the  pas- 
torate of  J.  M.  Kersey.  This  building  was  destroyed  by 
fire  early  in  1913. 

In  its  earlier  years  the  church  had  such  preaching  as  it 
could  get.     When  there  was  none,  Deacon   Schockley  con- 


CHURCHES  351 

ducted  the  worship  on  the  Lord's  Day  morning.  His  trade 
was  a  brickmason ;  his  business  was  to  serve  God.  Some  of 
the  pastors  were  John  Lindsey,  I.  N.  Carman,  D.  R.  Howe, 
John  Miller,  John  O'Kane,  William  Thompson,  Ira  J.  Chase, 
B.  O.  Aylesworth,  J.  B.  Mayfield,  N.  S.  Haynes,  J.  M.  Ker- 
sey, J.  P.  McKnight,  G.  B.  Van  Arsdale,  H.  T.  Burns,  W. 
F.  Turner,  and  now  M.  L.  Pontius. 

The  baneful  influence  of  denominationalism  is  such  that 
the  Disciples  have  found  it  necessary  to  come  to  social  as 
well  as  ecclesiastical  recognition  in  cities  before  they  have 
made  much  growth.  This  condition  has  developed  a  superior 
type  of  character.  Not  a  few  choice  spirits  were  grown  in 
this  church.  Among  them  were  Miss  Pauline  White,  a  mem- 
ber since  1854,  and  her  sisters.  In  the  last  days  of  the 
church's  weakness,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  P.  Darst  were  invaluable 
helpers ;  the  Ford  family,  particularly  ''Aunty  Ford,"  a  beau- 
tiful flower  whom  God  caused  to  bloom  on  earth  for  awhile, 
that  his  people  might  have  here  an  object-lesson  of  what 
heaven  is  to  be;  the  Shockley  family;  and  the  schoolmaster 
who  declined  a  handsome  compensation  to  lead  the  singing 
in  a  near-by  congregation,  to  perform  this  service  in  the 
Central  free  of  charge,  C.  R.  Vandervoort,  whose  sun  set  at 
his  high  noon.  H.  C.  Reichel  and  Harry  Streibich  were  given 
to  the  ministry. 

Peoria — West  Bluff  Chapel. 

This  is  a  mission  Bible  school.  It  was  the  first  chapel 
ever  built  in  one  day.  The  credit  of  the  conception  belongs 
to  Mr.  A.  J.  Elliott.  The  Brotherhoods  of  the  Central  and 
Howett  Street  Churches,  re-enforced  by  about  sixty  volun- 
teers of  the  local  carpenters'  union,  united  in  building  the 
chapel  on  May  30,  1910.  Min.  William  Price  had  laid  the 
foundation. 

Peoria — Howett  Street. 

Organized  1909,  by  William  Price;  present  membership, 
192;  value  of  property,  $3,500;  Bible  school  began  1875; 
present  enrollment,  365. 


352         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

About  1875,  Mr.  A.  B.  Tyng,  Sr.,  an  active  member  of 
the  Reformed  Episcopal  Church,  started  a  mission  Sunday- 
school  at  Cedar  and  Brotherson  Streets.  It  was  called  the 
Tyng  Mission.  As  it  was  about  to  be  abandoned,  the  women 
of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  assumed  the  duty  of  its  maintenance. 
Through  the  influence  of  Mrs.  F.  M.  Barrett  it  passed  to  the 
Central  Church  in  1885.  Thereafter  a  lot  was  bought  at 
224  Howett  Street,  and  later  a  chapel  was  built  thereon. 
This  was  during  the  pastorate  of  N.  S.  Haynes  at  the  Cen- 
tral Church.  Afterward  this  building  was  enlarged.  Fos- 
tered faithfully  by  members  of  the  Central,  the  Howett 
Street  school  grew  finally  into  an  independent  congregation. 
Among  these  were  J.  P.  Darst,  William  Ford  and  Miss 
Lorena  Simonson,  who  has  given  twenty-eight  years  of 
service  there  as  a  teacher — a  rare  and  beautiful  example  of 
efficient  devotion.  Of  late  years,  Mr.  M.  W.  Rotchford  has 
been  Bible-school  superintendent  and  an  enthusiastic  helper. 
The  neighborhood  was  as  unpromising  thirty  years  ago  as  a 
field  could  well  be.  The  gratifying  results  are  the  blessings 
of  the  Lord  upon  prayerful  and  faithful  work. 

On  June  17,  1841,  Dr.  P.  G.  Young  reported  the  organ- 
ization of  a  church  of  Christ,  with  sixteen  members,  at 
Mount  Hawley. 

In  1842  he  reported  the  organization  of  a  church  of  forty 
members  at  Rome,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Illinois  River. 

As  late  as  1888  there  was  a  self-supporting  church  at 
Elmore.  It  sustained  a  pastor  for  full  time,  gave  the  com- 
munity helpful  service,  and  contributed  to  missions. 

The  changing  tides  of  population  carried  all  these  away. 

PERRY    COUNTY. 

Duqiioin. 

Organized  1857,  by  Lysias  Heape;  present  membership, 
650;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $22,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  266. 

Previous  to   1857  there  was  monthly  preaching  in  resi- 


CHURCHES  353 

dences  by  Ministers  Pyle,  Wells,  and  Dr.  Isaac  and  J.  N. 
Mulkey.  In  that  year,  Messrs.  Keyes  and  Metcalf,  the 
founders  of  the  town,  gave  the  feeble  congregation  a  lot  on 
which  the  chapel  was  built.  Some  of  the  charter  members 
were  Lysias  Heape  and  family,  William  and  Abner  Wil- 
hams,  Mrs.  McElvain  Wells,  Mr.  Pyle,  Isaac  Wheatley  and 
family,  Daniel  and  Frederick  Williams,  John  Brown,  Robert 
Parks,  Thomas  Wiffin  and  family,  and  Robert  J.  Wheatley, 
who  had  just  moved  from  Pennsylvania.  In  after  years  he 
was  a  great  man  of  God  and  a  tower  of  strength  in  the 
church. 

In  1857  a  financial  panic  swept  the  country  like  a  cyclone. 
Poor  crops  came  the  next  year,  and  muttering  thunderings 
of  the  Civil  War  were  heard.  Besides,  at  that  time  more 
papers  avowedly  infidel  were  taken  and  read  in  Duquoin 
than  those  that  were  Christian.  Early  in  1861,  Mr.  Wheat- 
ley  sent  for  O.  A.  Burgess.  He  preached  to  an  audience  of 
fifty  people  for  days  and  thought  to  quit.  But,  encouraged 
by  Mr.  Wheatley,  he  continued  to  use  his  splendid  spiritual 
artillery  upon  the  strong  citadel  of  Satan  until  seventy  per- 
sons surrendered  to  King  Jesus.  Later  W.  F.  Black,  J.  Z. 
Taylor  and  Ira  J.  Chase  led  the  church  in  great  revivals. 

The  eight  years'  pastorate  of  J.  J.  Harris  was  a  rich 
blessing  to  the  church.  In  that  period  the  new  church  was 
built. 

Adam  Adcock  is  now  leading  the  flock  in  all  good  ways. 

R.  A.,  a  son  of  R.  J.  Wheatley,  has  been  a  faithful  mem- 
ber since  the  Burgess  meeting. 

Frien dship  ( Tamaroa  ) , 

Organized  1867,  by  P.  W.  Jones ;  present  membership, 
60;  value  of  property,  $600;  Bible  school  began  1867;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  85. 

A  country  church  three  miles  west  of  Tamaroa.  It  was 
instituted  by  Mr.  Jones,  a  Baptist  minister.  In  1869,  G.  W. 
Puckett,  another  Baptist  minister,  located  with  the  church. 
On  the  first  Saturday  in  March,   1870,  the  declaration  of 

12 


354         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

faith,  covenant  and  rules  of  decorum  were  repealed  and  the 
Bible  alone,  without  any  other  written  creed,  was  adopted  as 
the  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  Moderator,  G.  W.  Puckett; 
clerk,  S.  C.  Moore. 

The  present  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1870.  Elders, 
D.  L.  Benson,  John  Miller;  deacons,  Michael  Goos,  Abraham 
Heape. 

Besides  Mr.  Puckett,  the  following  have  served  the 
church:  Lysias  Heape,  J.  N.  and  Isaac  Mulkey,  John  A.  Wil- 
liams, Louis  Goos,  David  Husband,  and  now  J.  J.  Harris 
one-fourth  time. 

Two  young  men  were  given  to  the  ministry — Louis  Goos 
and  C.  W.  Marlow. 

Tamaroa. 

Present  membership,  50;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  57. 

PIATT   COUNTY. 

Antioch  (Atwood). 

Organized  1854,  by  John  C.  Mathes;  present  member- 
ship, 50;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 50. 

The  beginning  of  this  church,  located  about  six  miles 
north  of  Atwood,  was  unique  and  significant.  Jacob  Mos- 
barger  was  born  in  Indiana  in  1818  and  settled  near  the  site 
of  this  church  in  1844.  He  was  an  infidel.  In  1853  a  hurt 
befell  him  which  put  him  on  his  back  for  eleven  months.  He 
read  everything  within  his  reach  and  then  asked  for  the 
Bible.  It  was  to  him  a  book  of  surprising  interest.  He  read 
and  read  until  he  decided  that  he  should  become  a  Christian ; 
so  he  sent  for  Mr.  Mathes,  in  Indiana,  to  come  and  baptize 
him.  He  came,  preached  awhile  and  immersed  Jacob  Mos- 
barger  and  his  wife,  who  was  a  member  of  the  ''New  Light" 
congregation  in  that  community;  Gilbert  Green  and  his  wife 
Martha,  David  Samuels  and  his  wife  Ruth,  and  Gilford 
Green.     These  seven  were  formed  into  a  church  of  Christ. 


CHURCHES  355 

They  met  in  the  Gregory  log  schoolhouse.  About  1866  a 
chapel  was  built  which  in  later  years  was  remodeled.  Jacob 
Mosbarger  was  elder  of  this  church  for  forty-five  years. 
During  this  period  he  rarely  missed  one  of  its  meetings.  On 
Thursday  afternoons  he  and  his  sons  always  left  the  field 
one  hour  earlier  than  usual  that  they  might  attend  the  weekly 
prayer-meetings  two  and  a  half  miles  distant.  He  was  a 
great  and  good  man  of  God. 

Elijah  Goodwin,  Joseph  Hostetler  and  J.  C.  Mathes 
served  the  church  for  twenty-five  years.  Then  James  Con- 
nor and  J.  W.  Monser  did  good  work  here. 

Atzvood. 

Organized  1879,  by  John  C.  Mathes ;  present  membership, 
112;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  75. 
The  following  is  the  church  covenant: 

We,  whose  names  are  subscribed,  agree  with  each  other,  that  we 
will  take  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  known  as 
the  Bible,  as  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  and  that  we  will  take 
the  name  "Christian"  as  the  only  divinely  authorized  name  and  will 
be  known  as  the  Church  of  Christ  at  Atwood,  Douglas  and  Piatt 
Counties. 

The  county  line  passed  through  the  center  of  the  town. 
The  charter  members  were  Peter,  W.  H.  and  Hannah  Mos- 
barger; Frank  and  Angelina  Browning;  Aaron  and  Anna 
Shaw ;  John  C.,  Ruth  J.  and  J.  Mathes ;  Adam  Star,  Nancy 
Painter  and  Nancy  Tryon. 

The  present  elders  are  Wm.  White,  J.  H.  Easton  and  C. 
M.  Flickinger.  The  chapel  was  built  in  1883,  following  a 
good  revival  by  W.  F.  Black. 

Bement. 

Organized  1862;  present  membership,  120;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $4,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  125. 

There  were  seventeen  charter  members,  with  William 
Munroe  and  J.  Ruble,  elders,  and  Samuel  Hopkins  and 
Thomas  Dunn,  deacons.    Among  those  who  were  especially 


356  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

helpful  to  the  church  were  G.  W.  Thompson,  pastor  in 
1878-79,  who  collected  the  church  records ;  C.  H.  Bridges, 
E.  H.  Graves  and  C.  E.  Evans.  The  church  is  active  and 
prosperous  with  good  officers. 

In  1913,  Mrs.  Lillie  Bowyer  Hedges  went  from  this 
church  as  a  missionary  to  Central  Africa. 

Cerro  Gordo. 

Organized  1883,  by  H.  F.  Tandy;  present  membership, 
74;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  67. 

This  church  has  had  varied  experiences  that  are  common 
to  those  in  small  towns.  It  has  lost  by  removals  until  it  is 
feeble 

De  Land. 

Organized  1877,  by  Samuel  Lowe;  present  membership, 
199;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $15,500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,   191. 

Min.  Charles  Rowe  first  preached  the  plain  gospel  in  this 
neighborhood  in  the  early  seventies.  He  was  followed  by 
Min.  S.  K.  Hallam,  who  was  pastor  at  Farmer  City.  Among 
the  charter  members  there  were  Mrs.  Martha  Bondurant, 
Thomas  E.  Bondurant,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joel  Churchill,  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  H.  G.  Porter,  all  of  whose  services  to  the  congre- 
gation were  invaluable. 

A  union  chapel  was  built,  the  Protestant  Methodists  shar- 
ing it  one-half.  During  the  pastorate  of  J.  M.  Francis  a  new 
building  was  erected,  which  was  much  enlarged  and  improved 
during  the  pastorate  of  W.  T.  McConnell.  J.  H.  Stambaugh 
is  now  pastor.    The  church  is  active  in  all  good  works. 

Hammond. 

The  church  here  was  organized  about  1875  by  the  Macon 
County  Missionary  Co-operation,  Min.  Thomas  Cully  serving 
as  the  evangelist.  The  ultra-conservatives  have  long  since 
taken  it  off  the  map  as  an  active  force  for  truth  and 
righteousness. 


CHURCHES  357 

Monticello. 

Organized  1911,  by  Andrew  Scott;  present  membership, 
39;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1911;  pres- 
ent enrollment,   131. 

In  years  past  a  church  was  organized  here,  but  it  failed. 
The  charter  members  of  the  present  congregation  were  Mrs. 
Hattie  Eshelman,  Gussie  and  Mrs.  L.  M.  Baker,  Mrs.  J.  L. 
Hicks,  Mrs.  J.  Hough,  Mrs.  Cora  Johann,  W.  M.  and  Mrs. 
Hannah  Holden,  R.  M.  Wilkens  and  wife,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Cramer,  Mrs.  Lillian  Henry,  Mrs.  J.  C.  Miller,  Pansy  Dool- 
ing,  L.  E.  Bowyer  and  wife,  J.  D.  Duffy  and  Mrs.  Hanna 
T.  Anderson. 

The  unused  Baptist  chapel  was  bought. 

PIKE   COUNTY. 

Atlas. 

Organized  1908,  by  J.  R.  Campbell;  present  membership, 
140;  value  of  property,  $4,000;  Bible  school  began  1910; 
present  enrollment,  90. 

There  were  two  families  in  this  village  who  called  them- 
selves Christians  only.  The  spiritual  life  of  the  place  had 
run  low,  so  they  decided  to  organize  a  church  of  Christ. 
Several  successful  meetings  were  held.  A  house  of  worship 
was  occupied  in  1910. 

Leonard  Angel  was  ordained  to  the  ministry. 

Barry. 

Organized  1842;  present  membership,  275;  value  of  prop- 
erty, including  parsonage,  $18,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 250. 

The  earlier  records  of  this  church  were  burned.  It  has 
served  the  community  well. 

Bee  Creek   (Pearl). 

Organized  1911,  by  G.  W.  Williams;  present  membership, 
60;  value  of  property,  $500;  Bible-school  enrollment,  40. 


358  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

This   congregation   is    five   miles   south   of    Pearl.      It  is 
Chambersburg. 

Present  membership,  326;  value  of  property,  including 
parsonage,  $7,500;  Bible-school  enrollment,   166. 

An  old  church  with  a  good  record.  Oscar  Dennis  is  cor- 
respondent. ^ 

^  Detroit. 

Organized  1882;  present  membership,  133;  value  of 
property,  including  parsonage,  $6,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment,  152. 

An  old  church  that  has  served  the  community  well.  Glen 
Fields,    Pittsfield,   is   the   correspondent.     It   is   a   fine   com- 

"""''y-  El  Dara. 

Organized  1873,  by  W.  H.  Crow ;  present  membership, 
190;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $3,500;  Bible 
school  began  1873;  present  enrollment,  100. 

This  church  was  the  first  result  of  a  meeting  held  by  Mr. 
Crow.  There  were  twenty-four  charter  members.  Of  these 
there  are  now  (1913)  living:  Mrs.  Martha  Coley,  Mrs.  Cyn- 
thia Worsham,  Mrs.  Charlotte  Pursley,  Mrs.  Ethel  Pursley- 
Brown,  Mrs.  Jennie  Pursley-Reynolds  and  Mrs.  Mary 
Hewitt. 

The  church  continues  to  do  good  work.     J.  W.  Pearson 

Green  Pond  (Pearl). 

Present  membership,  100;  value  of  property,  $1,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  60. 

This  church  dates  back  to  the  log  house  with  puncheon 
floor.  It  is  alive  under  the  half-time  preaching  of  S.  R.. 
Lewis.     Geo.  Graham,  R.  R.  1,  is  correspondent. 

Griggsville. 

Organized  1876,  by  R.  H.  Moss ;  present  membership, 
116;  value  of  property,  $4,000;  Bible  school  began  1876; 
present  enrollment,  75. 


CHURCHES  359 

The  churches  of  Christ  in  Pike  County  had  long  desired 
to  plant  a  congregation  after  the  New  Testament  pattern 
in  this  thrifty  town.  Its  New  Englandism  was  slow  to 
accept  anything  that  had  its  beginning  west  of  Boston. 

D.  R.  Lucas  held  a  great  tent  meeting  shortly  after  the 
organization.  It  proved  an  expansion,  but  not  a  growth. 
Since  then  the  work  has  been  difficult  and  slow.  A  large 
house  was  planned,  but  never  finished.  The  present  house 
was  built  during  the  pastorate  of  J.  E.  Diehl.  J.  D.  Dabney 
is  the  pastor. 

Independence    (Pittsfield). 

Organized  1858,  by  James  Burbridge ;  present  member- 
ship, 160;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began 
1882;  present  enrollment,   101. 

At  first  the  congregation  was  called  the  Highland  Church 
of  Christ.  In  1882  it  took  the  village  name.  James  Bur- 
bridge,  Robert  Nicholson  and  Andrew  Main  led  in  the  move- 
ment. The  present  building  was  completed  in  1866.  Most 
prominent  in  this  work  were  Joseph  Troutner  and  Robert 
Nicholson. 

The  church  has  had  the  services  of  thirty-seven  ministers. 

Martinshurg. 

Present  membership,  75;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  no 
Bible  school. 

An  old  church  of  good  but  conservative  people. 

Milton. 

Present  membership,  250;  value  of  property,  $2,000; 
Bible-school   enrollment,   142. 

An  old  church  that  has  done  much  good  work.  It  has 
always  had  many  superior  people.  C.  E.  Bolin,  Jr.,  is  cor- 
respondent, ^j  J 

Organized  1885;  present  membership,  200;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $5,000 ;  Bible  school  began  1885 ;  present  enrollment, 
165. 


360  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

The  first  elders  were  G.  W.  Burbridge  and  N.  B. 
Grimes,  with  T.  J.  Shaw,  James  Burbridge  and  G.  N. 
Creech,  deacons.  There  were  about  fifty  original  members. 
J.  J.  W.  Miller  served  as  pastor  for  a  number  of  years.  J. 
D.  Harpole  and  T.  L.  Minier  are  among  the  active  members. 

New  Canton. 

Present  membership,  75;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  67, 
A  weak  church. 

New  Hartford. 

Organized  1851,  by  Hardin  Gooden  and  David  Roberts; 
present  membership,  150;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible 
school  began  1851;  present  enrollment,  152. 

The  first  officers  were  Wm.  Shambaugh  and  W.  H. 
McClintock,  elders,  and  W.  R.  Mathes,  Jonathan  Goble  and 
D.  K.  Harris,  deacons.     All  of  them  have  passed  on. 

Meetings  were  held  in  the  schoolhouse  till  1856,  when  a 
chapel  was  built,  which  was  used  until  1903,  when  the  pres- 
ent building  was  erected. 

From  first  to  last,  about  six  hundred  people  have  held 
membership  here.  The  church  has  entirely  transformed  the 
life  of  the  community.     J.  W.  Pearson  is  now  pastor. 

There  is  a  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  and  C.  W.  B.  M.  Elmer 
Attor,  Pittsfield,  is  correspondent. 

Old  Pearl  (Straut). 

Present  membership,  60. 

An  old  church  of  conservatives  five  miles  south  of  Pearl. 

Pearl. 

Organized  1885,  by  C.  H.  Maynard  and  M.  L.  Anthony; 
present  membership,  277;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  200. 

This  congregation  was  formed  in  the  M.  E.  chapel.  It 
struggled  along  till  1894,  w^hen  its  own  home  was  finished. 


CHURCHES  361 

To  this  an  addition  was  built  in  1906.  H.  S.  Van  Dervoort 
and  M.  L.  Anthony  held  successful  revivals.  The  church  is 
active  in  all  missionary  and  benevolent  work. 

It  has  given  O.  C.  Bolman  to  the  ministry.  Min.  W.  H. 
Kerns  furnished  these  facts. 

Perry. 

Organized  1837,  by  David  Hobbs;  present  membership, 
330;  value  of  property,  $4,000. 

Near  the  site  of  Perry,  in  the  residence  of  Nicholas 
Hobbs,  this  church  was  organized,  with  the  following  among 
the  charter  members:  Abraham  Chenoweth  and  wife,  Gideon 
Bentley  and  wife,  William  Van  Pelt  and  wife,  Samuel  Van 
Pelt,  Nicholas  Hobbs  and  others.  Mr.  Hobbs,  Mr.  Chen- 
oweth and  William  Van  Pelt  were  the  first  elders  and  they 
taught  the  people  the  Word  for  a  few  years. 

The  first  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1839.  Four  years 
thereafter,  W.  H.  Brown,  the  great  evangelist,  held  a  series 
of  meetings,  and  the  multitudes  attending  were  so  great  that 
one  side  of  the  chapel  was  removed  and  a  shed  was  added 
to  accommodate  the  people.  This  house  gave  place  in  1851 
to  a  more  commodious  building,  and  this  to  the  third  house 
in  1880,  during  the  pastorate  of  John  T.  Smith. 

Two  of  the  early  preachers  were  Wm.  Strong  and  John 
Curl.     The  first  pastor  was  David  Hobbs. 

The  helpful  families  in  the  church  have  been  the  Chen- 
oweths,  Dorseys,  Brownings  and  others. 

Pittsfield. 

Organized  1836,  by  Mr.  Jacob  Hodgen;  present  member- 
ship, 600;  value  of  property,  $15,000;  Bible  school  began 
1855 ;  present  enrollment,  37. 

The  first  meetings  for  public  worship  that  aimed  to  follow 
the  apostolic  pattern  were  held  in  the  house  of  Afr.  Hodgen. 
Then  they  met  in  various  halls  in  the  then  village,  and  next 
in  the  courthouse. 

In  1841  the  organization  was  completed,  with  the  follow- 


362  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

ing  charter  members:  W.  H.  Strong  and  wife,  Jonas  Clark 
and  wife,  Jacob  Hodgen  and  wife,  Jonathan  Piper  and  wife, 
John  G.  Shastid  and  daughter  (later  known  as  Mrs.  Cow- 
den),  Joseph  Sanders  and  wife,  Caroline  Barber  and  Calista 
Bennet  (afterward  Airs.  Holmes).  The  elders  were  Jacob 
Hodgen  and  Jonas  Clark ;  the  deacon  was  Joseph  Sanders. 
Soon  after  this  time  many  others  were  added,  among  whom 
were  the  Wyatts,  Bennetts,  Hendricks,  Rubles,  Quimbys  and 
Johnsons. 

Among  the  early-day  preachers,  there  were  Wm.  Gale, 
W.  H.  Strong,  James  Burbridge  and  Charles  Bolin.  Mr. 
Strong  became  the  first  regular  minister  in  1839.  In  the 
same  year  the  "State  Meeting"  was  held  with  this  church. 

In  1844  a  small  frame  chapel  was  bought  from  the  Con- 
gregationalists.  This  gave  place,  in  1853,  to  a  two-story 
frame  building. 

The  lower  story  was  owned  by  a  stock  company  and 
used  for  school  purposes.  This  house  was  used  for  twenty- 
five  years  and  was  filled  with  many  sacred  memories. 

In  1890,  during  the  pastorate  of  W.  A.  Meloan,  a  modern 
brick  structure  was  erected.  Five  years  later,  two  rooms 
were  added  during  the  ministry  of  Geo.  L.  Snively. 

To  the  Christian  ministry  the  church  has  given  C.  G. 
Kindred,  W.  H.  Cannon  and  Clarence  Rainwater.  The  pas- 
torate of  H.  D.  Clark  is  very  tenderly  remembered. 

The  church  has  many  honored  names  of  men  who  grew 
large  in  character  and  usefulness,  among  them  Hicks,  Bar- 
ber, Hall,  Swan,  Steers,  Binns  and  Chamberlain. 

Pleasant  Hill. 

Present  membership,  231;  value  of  property,  $2,500; 
Bible-school   enrollment,  90. 

This  church  is  about  forty  years  old  and  has  done  good 
work.     W.  E.  Turnbaugh  is  correspondent. 

Rock  Hill  (Nebo). 
This  is  six  miles  west  of  Pearl. 


CHURCHES  363 

Rockport. 

Organized  1869;  present  membership,  44;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $3,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  69. 

F.  M.  Curver,  S.  Lomax  and  J.  Ogle  formed  this  church. 
By  removals  and  deaths  it  soon  failed.  It  was  revived  by 
Min.  T.  J.  Keller  and  started  again  with  115  members.  Upon 
the  removal  of  Mr.  Keller,  another  disbanding  followed.  In 
1911  he  returned,  and  through  his  efforts  the  congregation 
again  began  to  work  with  fourteen  members.  A  modern 
chapel,  with  a  concrete  basement,  was  built  and  the  outlook 
is  better. 

Time  (Pittsfield). 

Present  membership,  15;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  no 
Bible  school. 

This  is  seven  miles  southeast  of  Pittsfield.  The  com- 
munity has  been  seriously  handicapped  by  infidel  notions. 

POPE    COUNTY. 

Dixon  Springs. 

This  church  is  five  miles  east  of  Grantsburg,  near  the 
road  leading  from  Vienna  to  Golconda.  It  is  of  the  ultra- 
conservative  class. 

Thirty  years  ago  there  was  a  church  at  Golconda  that 
aimed  to  be  Christian  only,  but  removals  and  deaths  dis- 
solved it.  Within  the  last  decade,  Mins.  K.  A.  Williams  and 
R  L.  Cartwright  conducted  meetings  there.  Some  turned 
to  the  Lord.  Again,  those  who  could  serve  as  leaders  moved 
away.    Mr.  Kimball  led  the  first  effort. 

Dehvood. 

Organized  1912,  by  E.  C.  Stark;  present  membership,  12. 

Mr.  Stark  recently  located  in  this  community  and  needed 
a  church  home  for  himself  and  family.  Aided  only  by  the 
Lord,  he  went  to  work  to  make  one.  As  nearly  always  in 
the  beginning,  the  preaching  of  the  primitive  gospel  raised 
the  ire  of  sectarians.     They  demanded  a  public  debate.     Mr. 


364  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Stark  accommodated  them.  Then  they  denied  him  the  fur- 
ther use  of  the  pubHc-school  house.  His  teaching  was 
grossly  misrepresented,  and  a  boycott  was  made  as  effective 
as  could  be. 

PULASKI    COUNTY. 

America. 

Organized  1889,  by  L  A.  J.  Parker;  present  membership, 
55;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1889; 
present  enrollment,  30. 

Christian  Chapel  (Pulaski). 

Organized  1890,  by  I.  A.  J.  Parker  and  S.  A.  Holt;  pres- 
ent membership,  73;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school 
began  1899;  present  enrollment,  50. 

Grand  Chain. 

Organized  1858 ;  present  membership,  73 ;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $2,500;  Bible-school  enrollment,  80. 

PUTNAM    COUNTY. 

Putnam. 

Organized  1850,  by  D.  R.  Howe;  present  membership, 
100;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  present  enrollment,  50. 

This  place  was  called  Snatchwine  until  the  railroad  came. 
The  chapel  was  built  in  1866  and  is  still  in  good  condition. 
This  little  church  was  fruitful  in  preachers.  First,  there  was 
John  Wherry,  a  farmer,  a  strong,  prayerful  and  true  man  of 
God.  Next,  his  son-in-law,  J.  F.  M.  Parker,  then  his  two 
sons  J.  E.  and  Lesly  Parker,  Mr.  Malone,  Mr.  McCurdy, 
and  possibly  others.     William  Drake  is  correspondent. 

RANDOLPH    COUNTY. 

Mt.  Summit t  (Leanderville). 

Organized  1887,  by  David  Husband ;  present  membership, 
40;  value  of  property,  $1,000. 

In   1844,   Herman   Husband,   with  his   wife,  came   from 


CHURCHES  365 

Somerset,  Pa.,  and  settled  in  the  southern  part  of  this  county. 
They  were  both  earnest  Christians.  The  first  meeting  con- 
ducted by  a  Christian  minister  was  by  Wm.  Lile  in  1855,  in 
the  home  of  Mr.  Husband.  Next,  Lysias  Heape  preached 
there.  He  was  a  great  preacher,  and  his  sermons  usually 
were  from  two  to  three  hours  long.  A  schoolhouse  was 
built  near  by  during  the  Civil  War  and  was  used  for  public 
worship.  Dr.  Hezekiah  Hodges,  a  country  physician,  and 
Wm.  Frederick,  a  miller,  preached  there.  These  men,  with 
Mr.  Husband,  supported  themselves  and  their  families  by 
their  daily  labors  while  they  proclaimed  the  gospel.  In  1886, 
Min.  L.  M.  Linn  and  H.  D.  Banton  held  a  meeting  and 
formed  a  church  at  Rockwood.  They  were  followed  by  Dr. 
Isaac  Mulkey.  The  church  passed  away.  In  1869,  Peter 
Vogel,  of  Duquoin,  held  a  meeting  and  formed  a  congrega- 
tion at  Mill  Creek.  J.  Buford  Allen  served  as  its  pastor.  It 
also  failed.  About  1872,  John  Friend  and  John  Jones,  two 
young  men  from  the  Bible  School  at  Lexington,  Ky., 
held  a  meeting  at  Mt.  Summit  and  formed  a  congregation. 
It  continued  only  a  few  years.  J.  T.  Baker  gathered  a  con- 
gregation at  Baldwin,  but  it  also  failed.  In  1886,  David 
Husband,  a  son  of  Herman  Husband,  held  a  seventy-one 
days'  meeting  and  reorganized  the  Mt.  Summit  Church. 
Then  they  were  turned  out  of  the  schoolhouse.  The  first 
name  on  the  subscription-list  to  build  a  chapel  was  Albert 
Conder,  a  boy  five  years  of  age,  who  pledged  a  coonskin. 
The  house  was  built  and  dedicated  free  from  debt.  It  still 
stands  and  is  used  in  worship. 

David  Husband  and  T.  J.  Holloman  were  given  to  the 
ministry  by  this  county. 

RICHLAND   COUNTY. 

Antioch  (Olney). 

Present  membership,  81;  value  of  property,  $590;  Bible- 
school  enrollment.  47.  Like  many  others,  nothing  more  could 
be  learned. 


Z66         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

Berryville    ( Parkersburg) . 

Present  membership,  80;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  47. 

Calhoun. 

Organized  1864,  by  Erastus  Lathrop ;  present  member- 
ship, 66;  value  of  property,  $700;  Bible  school  began  1864; 
present  enrollment,  58. 

The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  schoolhouse  and  grove 
till  1867,  when  the  chapel  was  built. 

During  this  period  the  preaching  was  done  mainly  by 
Minister  Lathrop,  an  aged  and  godly  man,  and  Marion 
Shick.  A.  J.  Brittain  and  James  Hundley  were  the  first 
elders,  with  Harry  Barney,  Henry  Dean  and  Lewis  Van 
Matre,  deacons.  All  these  are  dead  except  Mr.  Brittain. 
The  church  has  had  high  and  low  tides  in  its  life.  It  has 
always  maintained  worship  on  the  Lord's  Day  when  without 
a  preacher.     Has  a  C.  E.  society. 

John  Crawford  was  given  to  the  ministry. 

Noble. 

Organized  1884,  by  H.  M.  Sanderson,  Sr. ;  present  mem- 
bership, 72;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began 
1885 ;  present  enrollment,  40. 

A  good  C.  E.  society.  J.  W.  Whitaker  was  given  to  the 
ministry. 

Olney. 

Organized  1866,  by  W.  B.  F.  Treat;  present  member- 
ship, 280;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began 
1866;  present  enrollment,  195. 

For  ten  years  there  were  only  a  few  members,  who  wor- 
shiped in  a  rented  hall.  G.  W.  Morrell,  a  much-loved  resi- 
dent minister,  was  the  chief  servant  of  the  church  during  this 
period. 

A  commodious  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1896,  to 
which  additions  were  made  in  later  years.  The  church  is 
harmonious  and  hopeful,  with  good  organized  activities. 


CHURCHES  367 

Parkersbttrg. 

Present  membership,    124;    value    of    property,    $1,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  150. 
A  good  C.  E.  society. 

Prairie  Hall   (Claremont). 

Present  membership,  35;  value  of  property,  $1,000. 

ROCK    ISLAND    COUNTY. 

Mo  line. 

Organized  1906,  by  O.  W.  Lawrence;  present  member- 
ship, 152;  value  of  property,  $6,000;  Bible  school  began 
1906;  present  enrollment,  200. 

The  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1909.  The  church 
was  formed  and  fostered  by  the  State  Board  of  Missions. 
Mr.  W.  F.  Eastm^an  was  the  leading  spirit. 

Rapids  City. 

Organized  1847;  present  membership,  10;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  24. 

This  was  once  a  prosperous  coal-mining  community,  but 
when  the  mineral  was  exhausted  the  town  lost  its  popula- 
tion. A  fine  brick  building  was  erected  in  1850.  Messrs. 
Steele  and  Shadle  were  the  first  elders.  Ministers  Lucas  and 
Sherwood  were  among  the  first  preachers.  By  removals  and 
death  the  church  went  down  and  the  house  was  closed  for 
many  years.  The  same  was  true  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  Mrs. 
C.  C.  Babcock  revived  the  work  in  the  seventies.  Now  there 
is  only  a  small  Bible  school.     Perry  Willard  is  the  elder. 

Rock  Island  First. 

Organized  1868,  by  C.  W.  Sherwood ;  present  member- 
ship, 725;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $45,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  353. 

In  March,  1856,  a  few  Disciples  met  in  Rock  Island  for 
public  worship.     These  meetings  continued   for  two  years, 


368         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

when  it  was  thought  best  to  discontinue  them.  Through  the 
invitations  of  P.  L.  Mitchell  and  Mrs.  Almyria  Holt,  the 
State  Board  of  Missions  sent  Evangelist  C.  W.  Sherwood 
there  in  March,  1868.  Just  twelve  years  to  a  day  from  the 
last  meeting  held  in  1858  the  Disciples  again  met  and  the 
organization  was  effected.  Some  of  the  same  wine  was  used 
on  both  occasions,  having  been  faithfully  kept  by  Mrs.  Holt, 
and  the  same  basket,  containing  a  dollar  or  two  in  nickels 
and  dimes  placed  therein  ten  years  before,  and  cared  for  by 
Mrs.  Holt,  the  former  treasurer,  was  used  at  that  time.  In 
April,  Minister  Sherwood  reported  to  State  Sec.  Dudley 
Downs  that  the  mission  then  numbered  thirty  persons, 

Mr.  Mitchell  rented  the  hall  over  the  post-office,  which 
was  used  as  the  place  of  meeting.  In  1870  he  purchased  the 
old  Baptist  chapel,  remodeled  and  refitted  it,  and  gave  it  to 
the  congregation. 

During  this  period  746  people  had  been  received,  but 
there  were  but  370  when  they  left  the  old  house,  the  differ- 
ence having  gone  in  the  usual  ways. 

In  1895,  Mrs.  Mary  Wadsworth  offered  to  replace  the  old 
chapel  with  a  new  and  commodious  structure  as  a  memorial 
of  her  beloved  father,  P.  L.  Mitchell.  The  conditions  were 
that  the  congregation  should  furnish  and  care  for  the  build- 
ing and  that  its  doors  should  be  open  to  all  who  would  enter, 
without  price.  With  many  tender  memories  and  tearful 
hearts,  the  old  home  was  left.  The  new  one  was  first  fully 
occupied  in  January,  1896.  Since  then  the  church  has  con- 
tinually grown  in  strength  and  usefulness. 

It  has  given  Frank  L.  Bowen  and  Fred  S.  Nichols  to  the 
ministry. 

Rock  Island  Second  (Thirty-sixth  Street  and 
Fifteenth  Avenue). 

Organized  1913,  by  J.  Fred  Jones;  present  membership, 
45;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible-school  enrollment,  110. 
For  several  years  a   Bible  school    had    been    conducted 


CHURCHES  369 

under  the  superintendency  of  Dr.  J.    D.    Nichols.      In    the 
church  there  were  twenty-five  charter  members. 

SALINE    COUNTY. 

Eldorado. 

Organized  1903,  by  Gilbert  Jones ;  present  membership, 
100;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1903; 
present  enrollment,  75. 

Mr.  Jones  was  residing  here  while  serving  as  evangeHst 
of  the  Eighth  Missionary  District.  The  church  grew  out  of 
meetings  conducted  by  him  in  the  public-school  building. 
There  w^ere  thirty-three  charter  members.  The  same  year  a 
lot  was  bought  and  a  chapel  built  thereon.  Before  leaving 
it,  Mr.  Jones  placed  the  church  well  upon  its  feet. 

J.  H.  Bramlet,  J.  A.  Davis,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Osburn  and 
family,  S.  S.  Karnes,  with  the  Bean  and  Banks  families,  con- 
tributed much  to  the  progress  of  this  church. 

Harrishurg. 

Present  enrollment,  100;  value  of  property,  $2,200;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  108. 

Stone  Fort. 

Organized  1898,  by  I.  A.  J.  Parker ;  present  membership, 
25 ;  no  church  building ;  Bible  school  began  1898 ;  present 
enrollment,  25. 

Miss  Flora  Parker  is  clerk. 

SANGAMON    COUNTY. 

Auburn. 

Organized  1868;  present  membership,  70;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $3,000 ;  Bible  school  began  1868 ;  present  enrollment,  40. 

One  or  two  efforts  to  form  a  church  here  that  should  be 
Christian  only  had  come  to  naught.  But  in  the  spring  of 
1868  the  following  named  Disciples  constituted  themselves 
into  such  church:  A.  G.  and  Mary  A.  Harvey,  John  and 
Laura  Piper,  George  W.  and  Margaret  Hackley,  M.  G.  and 


370  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Mary  E.  Wads  worth,  A.  M.  and  Salome  T.  Black,  and 
Nancy  F.  Wineman.  Meetings  for  public  worship  were  held 
on  the  second  floors  of  store  buildings.  A  good  Bible  school 
was  held.     fVeaching  for  half-time  was  arranged. 

John  Piper  and  G.  W.  Hackley,  two  carpenters  of  limited 
means,  led  in  the  building  enterprise.  The  former  gave  the 
lot.  On  a  $600  subscription  they  began  to  build  a  house. 
When  the  structure  was  about  ready  for  the  doors  and  win- 
dows, it  was  wrecked  one  night  by  a  hurricane.  It  was  the 
only  building  in  the  town  that  was  damaged.  The  next  day 
the  two  carpenters  began  on  the  work  again.  After  two  or 
three  years  the  building  was  finished.  These  facts  attest 
their  faith  and  heroism. 

Barclay. 

This  congregation  grew  from  the  Wolf  Creek  Church, 
located  two  miles  southeast,  which  was  one  of  the  early 
churches  of  the  county,  and  prosperous  and  influential  in  its 
time.  As  indicating  the  conceptions  of  "discipline"  then  cur- 
rent, the  following  transcript  is  made  from  the  original  rec- 
ords of  the  Wolf  Creek  Church: 

Jerry  Richerson  husband  of  Alley  Richerson. 

The  above  named  person  is  excommunicated  from  this  congrega- 
tion for  the   following  disobedience. 

He  dissembled  from  the  Brethren,  almost  altogether.  (Forbiden 
Hebrews  10  &  25).  His  works  were  those  of  the  flesh.  (Galac'ans 
5  &  22-23.)  we  are  commanded  to  withdraw  ourselves  from  every 
person  who  walks  disorderly.  Second  Thessalonians  3rd  &  6.  and 
first  Corinthians  5  &  4  says.  In  the  name  of  our  Lord,  Jesus  Christ, 
when  you  are  gethered  together  and  my  spirit,  with  the  power 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  deliver  such  an  one  unto  Satan  for  the 
destruction  of  the  flesh  that  the  Spirit  may  be  saved  in  the  day  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.     This  done  Feb.  7th,   1841. 

W.  M.  Ellis,  Clerk. 

On  the  same  day  and  in  the  same  formal  manner,  Alley 
Richerson  was  excommunicated  because  "she  did  not  meet 
with  Brethern  on  the  first  day  of  the  week  to  commemorate 
the  death  and  suffering  of  our  Savior,  violated  even  the  laws 
of  morality,   in  her  conversation ;   in   short,   she   refused  to 


CHURCHES  371 

live  that  character  and  carry  out  that  principle  taught  in  the 
Christian   Religion,"  etc.,  etc. 

The  Wolf  Creek  Church  was  organized  Sept.  3,  1837, 
with  Adam  J.  Groves,  Rezin  H.  Constant  and  Melitus  W. 
Ellis  as  elders,  and  Samuel  Wilson,  James  Taylor  and  Wil- 
liam F.  Elkin  as  deacons.  Up  to  Feb.  5,  1849,  there  had 
been  282  members. 

The  old  building  was  burned,  so  that  in  1890  the  chapel 
in  Barclay  was  built  and  the  congregation  met  there. 
Removals  and  the  influx  of  miners  decimated  the  congrega- 
tion so  that  only  a  small  Sunday  school  is  kept  going. 

Berlin. 

Organized  1825,  by  Andrew  Scott;  present  membership, 
80;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $1,500;  Bible 
school  began  1867;  present  enrollment,  100. 

(See  Chap.  II.)  In  its  early  years  the  church  was  served 
by  Andrew  Scott,  Theophilus  Sweet,  Judge  J.  W.  Taylor, 
A.  J.  Kane  and  Dr.  Mallory.  Charles  O.  Rowe  came  from 
Indian  Creek  and  so  strengthened  the  congregation  that  a 
frame  chapel  was  built  in  1842,  one  and  a  half  miles  north- 
west of  Berlin.  Then  it  was  known  as  the  Mt.  Zion  Chris- 
tian Church.  The  elders  then  were  Mr.  Scott,  William  Grant 
and  Henry  Ellis.  Then  Harrison  Osborn  and  Robert  Fos- 
ter served  the  church  for  six  years.  It  was  here,  in  1855, 
that  Mr.  Foster,  removing  his  coat  in  order  to  immerse 
thirty  converts  in  Spring  Creek  before  a  large  assembly,  dis- 
closed the  fact  that  he  was  wearing  his  "boiled  shirt"  with 
the  bosom  behind.  In  1859  a  new  chapel  was  built  in  Berlin, 
which  thereafter  became  the  place  of  meeting.  This  town 
was  the  boyhood  home  of  War  Governor  Richard  Yates. 
Early  in  1861  he  visited  the  place  and  made  a  "war  speech" 
in  the  Christian  chapel  that  g^reatly  perturbed  the  congrega- 
tion. Two  of  his  sisters,  Mrs.  Martha  Scott  and  Mrs. 
Elliott,  were  members  here.  A  four  davs'  public  discussion 
was  held  in  this  house  during  the  Civil  War.  Since  then 
sixteen  pastors  have  served  the  church. 


372  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Buffalo. 

Org-anized  1875,  by  G.  M.  Goode  and  J.  B.  Allen;  pres- 
ent membership,  125 ;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage, 
$4,000;  Bible  school  began  1875. 

Two  pastors,  G.  j\I.  Goode,  then  of  Hliopolis,  and  J.  B. 
Allen,  then  of  Mechanicsburg,  conducted  a  series  of  meet- 
ings in  the  schoolhouse  in  the  fall  of  1874.  The  work  was 
purely  missionary  on  their  part  and  resulted  in  eight  conver- 
sions. The  organization  of  thirty  members  was  made  early 
hi  the  following  January.  T.  J.  Underwood,  John  Jacobs 
and  Samuel  Garvey  were  chosen  elders.  A  church  building, 
costing  $2,000,  was  erected  the  same  year. 

Cantrall. 

Organized  1820,  by  Stephen  England;  present  member- 
ship, 125;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $3,300; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  29. 

(See  Chap.  II.)  In  1819  a  band  of  pioneers  made  the 
first  settlement  north  of  the  Sangamon  River,  a  few  miles 
northwest  of  Springfield.  Stephen  England  was  the  leader. 
He  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1773.  When  quite  young  he  was 
taken  to  Bath  County,  Ky.  There  he  married  Anna  Harper. 
They  became  the  parents  of  twelve  children.  The  family 
moved  to  Madison  County,  O.,  in  1813,  and  in  the  fall  of 
1818  to  Madison  County,  111.  Mr.  England  was  a  Baptist 
preacher  in  Kentucky,  but  was  never  known  as  such  in 
Sangamon  County.  In  June,  1819,  he  first  preached  to  his 
neighbors  who  assembled  in  his  home.  The  next  year  (May 
15)  he  formed  a  church  with  the  following  members: 
Stephen  and  Anna  England,  Jachoniah  and  Nancy  Langston, 
Levi  and  Fanny  Cantrall,  Mrs.  Adelphia  Wood,  Mrs.  Sarah 
Cantrall  and  Mrs.  Lucy  Scott.  This  was  the  first  church 
organized  in  this  county.  These  nine  people  then  signed  the 
following  agreement: 

We,  members  of  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ,  being  providentially 
moved  from  our  former  place  of   residence   from   distant  part,   and 


CHURCHES  373 

being  baptized  on  the  profession  of  our  faith  and  met  at  the  house 
of  Stephen  England,  on  a  branch  of  Higgins  Creek,  in  order  to  form 
a  constitution,  having  first  given  ourselves  to  the  Lord  and  then  to 
one  another,  agree  that  our  constituion  shall  be  on  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures of  Old  and  New  Testaments,  believing  them  to  be  the  only 
rule  of  faith  and  practice. 

In  1823  a  log  meeting-house  was  built  one  and  a  half 
miles  southeast  of  the  site  of  Cantrall,  near  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Britten  Cemetery.  The  cracks  were  chinked, 
and  greased  paper  was  used  for  the  windows.  This  primi- 
tive temple  was  built  by  the  volunteer  labor  of  the  settle- 
ment. In  1846  the  second  house  was  built  in  the  village,  and 
the  third  in  1873.  Mr.  England  continued  to  serve  the 
church  till  his  death,  preaching  his  last  sermon  sitting.  He 
solemnized  the  first  marriage  in  the  county  in  his  own  home. 
On  one  occasion  a  couple  came  from  Fort  Clark,  now 
Peoria,  to  be  married  by  him. 

The  congregation  was  served  by  about  all  of  the  pioneer 
preachers  of  central  Illinois.  It  gave  John  England  and  R. 
E.  Dunlap  to  the  ministry.  Besides  these,  many  great  and 
good  men  and  women  have  gone  forth  from  this  church. 

David  England  served  the  congregation  as  an  officer  over 
half  a  century.  George  T.  Sayles  as  an  efficient  elder  for 
forty  years,  and  later,  John  and  Robert  Grant  and  John  S. 
Lake  have  given  invaluable  service.  The  names  of  Carlile, 
Livi  and  John  T.  Canterbury,  Hiram  Powell,  "Uncle  Jack" 
Cline  and  Carlile  Witts  are  cherished. 

The  church  has  always  been  missionary.  It  was  never 
affiliated  with  the  Christian  Denomination. 

Clear  Lake  (Springfield). 

Organized  1865,  by  A.  J.  Kane;  value  of  property,  $1,500. 

The  cfharter  members  of  this  church  were  H.  D.  Turley 
and  wife,  M.  D.  Whitesides  and  wife,  B.  Turley  and  wife, 
J.  Cartmel  and  wife,  C.  Churchill  and  wife,  B.  F.  White- 
sides  and  wife,  Mrs.  Black,  T.  King  and  Mary  F.  Turley. 

Its  house  of  worship  was  built  the  same  year.    For  many 


374         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

years  the  church  was  a  strong  force  in  the  community  for 
truth  and  righteousness.  Its  most  active  and  useful  members 
were  H.  D.  Turley  and  family.  Denominational  opposition 
was  active  for  a  long  time.  It  was  here  that  A.  J.  Kane 
baptized  Dr.  W.  A.  Mallory. 

By  deaths  and  removals  the  church  has  become  feeble. 
The  remnant  are  dividing  between  Riverton  and  Springfield 
Churches. 

Dazuson. 

Organized  1887;  present  membership,  30;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1887;  present  enrollment,  30. 

The  chapel  was  bought  of  the  Presbyterians.  The  con- 
gregation has  lost  by  removals.  The  influx  of  coal  miners 
adds  to  the  difficulties  to  be  met. 

Illiopolis, 

Organized  1866,  by  C.  P.  Short;  present  membership, 
408;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $17,600;  Bible 
school  began  1868;  present  enrollment,  240. 

The  original  members  of  this  church  were  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
A.  C.  Ford,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  F.  Garvey,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John 
C.  McGuffin,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Bourland,  W.  L.  Rob- 
erts, W.  N.  Streeter,  F.  M.  Green,  Mrs.  Mary  Ruby,  Mrs. 
Sarah  Dake,  Archibald  Boyd  and  Mrs.  Mary  Skeen. 

For  a  long  time  the  meetings  were  held  in  the  M.  E. 
Church,  with  only  occasional  preaching.  But  this  privilege 
was  withdrawn  and  the  meetings  were  held  in  the  public- 
school  house. 

On  a  cold,  misty,  windy  day  in  November,  1867,  the  con- 
gregation met  in  the  street  in  front  of  a  hotel,  as  the  school- 
house  was  undergoing  repairs.  At  this  meeting  there  were 
eight  conversions  to  Christ,  and  the  determination  to  build 
was  reached.  A  plain  frame  house  was  finished  and  occu- 
pied in  August,  1868.  This  served  the  church  until  1909, 
v;hen  the  building  was  reconstructed,  enlarged  and  mod- 
ernized during  the  pastorate  of  Robert  A.  Sickles. 


CHURCHES  375 

The  church  has  always  had  some  admirable  men  and 
women.     The  present  pastor  is  B.  H.  Sealock. 

It  has  given  to  the  ministry  John  McGuffin  and  Charles 
O.  Williams.     Possibly  H.  M.  Brooks  should  be  credited  here. 

Loami. 

Organized  lcS92,  by  C.  S.  Medbury ;  present  membership, 
150;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1892; 
present  enrollment,  75. 

The  church  was  organized  with  sixty-eight  charter  mem- 
bers. A  convenient  frame  building,  costing  $3,400,  was 
occupied  the  following  January. 

The  church   has   had  twelve  pastors   and  has   done   fine 

service. 

Mechanicsbiirg. 

Organized  1845,  by  Walter  P.  Bowles ;  present  member- 
ship, 175;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $3,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  100. 

Mr.  Bowles  and  Dr.  Robert  Foster  preached  the  apostolic 
gospel  in  the  early  forties  in  this  community.  The  people 
met  in  residences,  barns,  groves  and  schoolhouses.  There 
were  about  thirty  charter  members.  The  first  officers  were 
Wm.  S.  Pickrell,  John  Churchill  and  John  Dawson,  elders, 
with  James  McRee,  Joseph  Green  and  Wileby  Churchill, 
deacons.  The  house  of  worship  was  finished  in  1856.  Mr. 
Pickrell  gave  the  lot  and  made  the  brick  used  in  the  con- 
struction. It  still  stands,  having  received  only  modern 
improvements.  The  dedication  sermon  was  preached  in 
August,  1856,  by  A.  Campbell.  Besides  Ministers  Bowles 
and  Foster,  A.  J.  Kane,  W.  H.  Brown,  W.  A.  Mallory,  A. 
D.  Northcutt,  and  John  Wilson,  who  was  a  product  of  this 
church,  served  the  congregation  in  its  earlier  years. 

By  1885  the  tide  had  gone  out  so  that  John  Garvey,  with 
twenty-four  women,  constituted  the  membership.  Miss 
Emma  Pickrell,  a  daughter  of  Wm.  S.  Pickrell,  during  this 
period  superintended  the  Bible  school  and  administered  the 
Lord's  Supper  with  grace  and  fidelity. 


376  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

In  1887,  Evangelist  W.  F.  Black  conducted  a  great 
revival,  since  which  the  work  has  moved  forward. 

This  church  is  noted  for  the  number  of  great,  noble  and 
helpful  people  it  has  produced.  The  Pickrells,  Garveys, 
Churchills,  Elkins  and  others  are  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of 
many. 

Pleasant  Plains. 

Organized  1869,  by  John  Wilson ;  present  membership, 
102;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $4,000;  Bible 
school  began  1870;  present  enrollment,  78. 

W.  M.  Brown  preached  the  gospel  in  this  community  in 
the  early  years.  There  was  a  congregation  of  Christians 
formed  four  miles  east  of  the  town  site  and  worshiped  there 
for  several  years.  The  town  grew  when  the  railroad  was 
built.  The  church  was  formed  in  a  hall.  In  1870  the  house 
of  worship  was  built.  A  period  of  strife  and  division  ensued, 
but  gradually  disappeared. 

In  the  earlier  years,  A.  J.  Kane,  G.  W.  Minier,  Ministers 
Osborn,  Norton,  Burton  and  John  Lemmon  served  the  con- 
gregation. 

Riverton. 

Organized  1876,  by  Dr.  W.  A.  Mallory;  present  member- 
ship, 90;  value  of  property,  $6,000;  Bible  school  began  1876; 
present  enrollment,  50. 

Meetings  for  public  worship  had  been  held  in  school- 
houses  in  the  neighborhood  of  Riverton  for  years.  The  first 
name  of  the  town  was  Howlet.  This  was  the  home  of  Dr. 
Mallory.  He  first  preached  in  the  village  ''little  brick  school- 
house"  in  1874,  and  then  baptized  the  first  converts  there — 
Louise  Fox  and  Georgiana  Flagg.  In  1876,  Evangelist 
Logan  conducted  a  series  of  meetings  with  about  fifty  con- 
verts to  Christ.  A  small  building  was  then  rented  and  regu- 
lar church  work  begun.  But  the  M.  E.  congregation  offered 
more  rent  and  got  the  use  of  the  room.  Then  the  Christian 
congregation  went  to  the  Good  Templars'  Hall.  Next,  the 
Opera  Hall  was  used.    Then  Temperance  Hall  again.    Jacob 


CHURCHES  377 

Bunn,  of  Springfield,  gave  the  congregation  a  lot,  but  they 
v/ere  unable  to  build  a  chapel  thereon.  The  death  of  Dr. 
Mallory  proved  a  severe  loss  to  the  congregation,  and  they 
scattered.  A  few  stood  true  to  their  convictions  of  Christian 
truth  and  duty;  they  were  Emma  King  and  Mrs.  Amanda 
Steele  and  her  daughter  Etta,  who  is  novv^  Mrs.  Etta  C. 
White,  the  church  clerk. 

During  the  pastorate  of  J.  B.  Briney  in  Springfield,  he 
preached  here  occasionally.  In  1894,  B.  F.  Flagg  and 
Archie  Neal  led  in  an  effort  to  revive  the  work.  Min.  J.  O. 
Sutherland  conducted  a  series  of  meetings  and  reorganized 
the  church.  The  next  year  an  effort  was  made  to  build  a 
chapel,  but  it  only  partially  succeeded.  But  the  women  held 
true  until  the  house  was  finished,  furnished,  and  even  mod- 
ernized and  improved.  The  ashes  made  by  burning  the  mort- 
gage were  turned  over  to  the  church  clerk  to  keep. 

Riverton  is  a  coal-mining  town.  Its  population  is  shift- 
ing. The  congregation  is  composed  of  laboring  people.  The 
legalized  groggeries  do  their  fatal  work.  It  is  said  that  min- 
isters do  not  wish  to  reside  there. 

Rochester. 

The  first  church  by  this  name  was  formed  in  Rochester 
Township,  independent  of  the  South  Fork  congregation,  in 
1841.  A.  Richardson  and  B.  Williams  were  elected  elders, 
with  S.  West  and  W.  Bashaw,  deacons.  This  congregation 
was  served  by  Mins.  W.  M.  Brown,  A.  J.  Kane,  W.  P. 
Bowles  and  W.  A.  Mallory.  For  years  it  was  strong  and  a 
power  for  good  in  the  community. 

Organized  1877,  by  A.  J.  Kane;  present  membership,  90; 
value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $2,500;  Bible  school 
began  1877;  present  enrollment,  50. 

With  the  coming  of  the  railroad,  the  town  grew  and  the 
place  of  meetino;'  was  changed.  The  first  elders  were  W.  P. 
Clark  and  J.  McClure,  with  W.  Windsor  and  S.  Wolford, 
deacons.     The  chapel  was  built  in  1877. 

A.  J.  Kane  and  W.  A.  Mallory  served  the  church   for 


378         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

several  years.  There  followed  a  few  ministers  whose  lives 
did  not  vindicate  their  calling,  and  disturbance  ensued.  The 
church,  however,  has  recovered  and  is  doing  good  work. 

Springfield — First. 

Organized  1833,  by  Josephus  Hewitt ;  present  member- 
ship, 992;  value  of  property,  $133,000;  Bible  school  began 
1848;  present  enrollment,  450. 

Were  this  not  a  great  and  good  church,  it  would  be 
untrue  to  its  antecedents.  Minister  Hewitt  was  a  man  of 
superior  versatility  and  eloquence,  and  passed  like  a  comet 
through  the  Springfield  sky.  In  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Gar- 
ner Goodan,  located  on  the  lot  now  occupied  by  the  Chicago 
&  Alton  passenger  station,  the  church  was  constituted  in 
October  with  the  following  charter  members :  Philo  and  Mar- 
tha Beers,  Joseph  and  Lucy  Bennett,  Alfred  and  Martha 
Elder,  Dr.  James  R.  Gray,  Mrs.  Garner  Goodan,  Mrs.  Ann 
McNabb,  William  Shoup,  Reuben  Radford  and  Elisha  Tabor. 
To  these  were  soon  added  America  T.  Logan,  wife  of  Judge 
Stephen  T.  Lcran ;  Gen.  Jas.  Adams,  Lemuel  and  Evaline 
HigiW,  Mordecai  Mobley  and  wife,  George  Bennett  and 
wife,  Col.  E.  D.  Baker  and  wife,  the  Woodworth  family  and 
otliers. 

The  passing  years  further  brought  to  and  took  away  from 
this  fellowship  Alexander  Graham,  its  second  minister ;  Wm. 
H.  Brown,  its  third,  and  great  evangelist ;  William  Lavely 
and  Daniel  B.  Hill ;  A.  J.  Kane,  whom  it  added  to  the  Chris- 
tian ministry ;  Jonathan  R.  Saunders ;  Mary  Logan,  who 
became  Mrs.  Milton  Hay ;  J.  W.  Taylor,  who  was  an  earnest 
preacher  and  served  four  years  as  county  judge;  John  G., 
Thomas  C.  and  Wm.  F.  Elkin ;  Richard  Latham,  J.  H. 
Pickrell  and  his  sister,  Mrs.  H.  P.  Pasfield,  and  many  others 
whose  names  are  held  in  sacred  remembrance.  In  that  hon- 
orable company,  A.  J.  Kane  may  easily  be  counted  the 
leader.  The  gospel,  working  through  his  clear  mind  and 
pure  heart,  gave  direction  to  the  thought  and  character  of 
the  church.     His  wife,  Mrs.  Caroline  Beers  Kane,  was  the 


CHURCHES  379 

last  one  of  the  old  guard  to  pass  to  the  church  triumphant. 

The  first  house  of  worship  was  of  brick,  completed  in 
1834,  and  stood  on  the  north  side  of  Madison  Street,  between 
Fourth  and  Fifth;  the  second  in  1853,  at  the  northeast  cor- 
ner of  Sixth  and  Jefferson ;  the  third  in  1882,  at  the  corner 
of  Fifth  and  Jackson,  built  during  the  pastorate  of  J.  Buford 
Allen ;  the  present  splendid  edifice  was  finished  in  1912,  dur- 
ing the  pastorate  of  F.  W.  Burnham,  and  stands  on  the 
southeast  corner  of  Sixth  and  Cook  Streets. 

This  church  has  now  many  good  people  who  abound  in 
good  works.  They  supported  Mrs.  Susie  C.  Rijnhart  in 
Tibet;  paid  $2,500  to  build  a  dormitory  in  Tokyo,  Japan, 
when  Miss  Rose  J.  Armbruster  went  out  there,  and  pays 
$600  yearly  to  the  Foreign  Society.  Dr.  Paul  Wakefield  and 
his  wife,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  Lindsay,  went  out  from 
this  church  to  China,  and  E.  T.  Williams  left  its  pastorate 
thirty-five  years  ago  for  the  same  field.  He  is  secretary  of 
the  American  Legation  at  Peking.  The  church  has  enter- 
tained the  National  Missionary  Convention  twice  and  the 
State  Convention   six  times. 

The  pastors  have  mostly  been  noted  men.  Besides  those 
already  named,  the  list  includes  the  names  of  D.  R.  Howe, 
L.  B.  Wilkes,  T.  T.  Holton,  H.  W.  Everest,  J.  M.  Atwater, 
J.  Z.  Taylor,  E.  V.  Zollars,  J.  B  Briney,  A.  P.  Cobb,  J.  E. 
Lynn  and  F.  W.  Burnham. 

Among  the  now  forceful  members  are  H.  C.  Latham, 
Charles  P.  Kane,  B.  R.  Hieronymus,  L.  H.  Coleman  (whose 
son,  C.  B.  Coleman,  entered  the  ministry  and  is  a  teacher  in 
Butler  College),  Mrs.  Catherine  Lindsay  (for  thirtv  years 
president  of  the  C  W.  B.  M.  auxiliary),  G.  A.  Hulett,^  C.  E. 
Brown  and  Mrs.  Mary  L.  Morrison.  Others  equally  worthy, 
both  among  the  dead  and  the  Hving,  have  their  names  in 
God's  book  of  remembrance. 

Springfield — Stewart  Street. 

Organized  1905,  by  C.  C.  Morrison ;  present  membership, 
550;  value  of  property,  $10,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  264, 


380  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

This  church  was  the  result  of  a  tent  meetnig  conducted 
by  C.  C.  Morrison  in  the  southeast  part  of  the  city  while  he 
was  pastor  of  the  First  Church. 

A  good  property  costing  $9,000  was  completed  and  occu- 
pied in  May,  1906.  This  congregation  was  nourished  and 
helped  by  the  other  two  churches  of  the  city.  It  does  good 
work.  The  pastors  were  R.  A.  Finnell,  H.  H.  Jenner  and 
Gifford  Earnest. 

Springfield — West  Side. 

Organized  1902,  by  J.  E.  Lynn ;  present  membership, 
674;  value  of  property,  $45,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  346. 

On  the  5th  of  January,  1902,  this  church  was  organized, 
its  Bible  school  formed  and  its  building  dedicated.  There 
were  ninety-eight  charter  members  and  twelve  were  added 
that  day.  The  church  has  grown  seven-fold,  possesses  an 
admirable  spirit  and  is  doing  excellent  work.  In  1910  an 
addition  was  made  to  the  building,  costing  $14,000. 

The  church  has  given  Chester  Gruble  to  the  ministry. 

Salisbury. 

Organized  1875,  by  John  Lemmon ;  present  membership, 
50;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began  1875;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  57. 

This  is  an  inland  village  in  the  northern  edge  of  the 
county.  The  subscription  paper  for  building  the  house  had 
some  unique  conditions;  as,  'The  house  should  be  used  for 
religious  purposes  only ;  that  no  entertainment  that  required 
admission  fee  at  the  door  should  be  given  there,  or  any  polit- 
ical meeting  held  there ;  and  when  not  in  use  by  the  owners, 
the  church  of  Christ,  it  should  be  open  to  all  religious  pro- 
clivities." It  has  served  the  community  well  for  a  third  of 
a  century. 

South  Fork   (Rochester). 

Organized  1832,  by  W.  P.   Bowles ;  present  membership, 
75;  value  of  property,  $1,000:  Bible-school  enrollment,  50. 
This  congregation  is  located  southwest  of  Rochester.     It 


CHURCHES  381 

was  organized  in  the  residence  of  Thos.  Baker,  that  stood 
one  and  one-half  miles  west  of  the  town  site.  The  charter 
members  were  W.  P.  Bowles  and  wife,  A.  Bowles  and  wife, 
Joseph  Walter,  Elizabeth  Bowles,  Anna  Payne,  J.  Baker  and 
wife,  Thos.  Baker  and  wife,  A.  Richards  and  wife,  W.  Poor 
and  wife,  E.  Delay,  D.  Stokes  and  L.  Gooden. 
The  church  now  has  preaching  part  of  the  time. 

Williamsville. 

Organized  1842;  present  membership,  200;  value  of  prop- 
erty, including  parsonage,  $11,800;  Bible-school  enrollment, 
137. 

This  church  was  first  organized  in  the  home  of  W.  F. 
Jones.  At  first  it  was  known  as  the  Fancy  Creek  Christian 
Church.  There  were  members  scattered  from  Wolf  Creek 
to  Fancy  Creek;  hence,  about  thirty  of  them  withdrew  from 
the  Wolf  Creek  congregation  and  organized  at  Fancy  Creek. 

Meetings  for  public  worship  were  held  in  the  homes  of 
the  people  until  1856,  when  the  Lake  Schoolhouse  was 
secured.  In  1858  a  house  of  worship  was  built  in  Williams- 
ville, and  thus  the  name  of  the  congregation  was  changed. 
In  1852,  W.  Jones  and  James  Lester  were  chosen  elders, 
with  G.  W.  Constant  and  J.  Barr  as  deacons.  In  1866,  A.  J. 
Kane  ordained  T.  M.  Helm  and  A.  W.  Elder  as  elders,  and 
F.  A.  Merriman,  C.  Turley  and  J.  Groves  as  deacons  of  this 
congregation. 

Minister  Kane  served  the  church  for  several  periods  as 
preacher  in  charge. 

J.  S.  Sweeney  held  a  public  discussion  here  with  Minister 
Davies,  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  By  this,  many  people  in  the 
community  were  helped  to  a  better  knowledge  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. 

This  church  is  composed  of  excellent  people.  For  many 
years  it  has  been  noted  for  its  liberality  and  fidelity  in  all 
Christian  work. 

The  Richland  congregation,  twelve  miles  westward  of 
Springfield,  and  four  miles  east  of  Pleasant  Plains,  was  a 


382  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

country  church  of  the  early  time.     For  many  years  it  was 
the  home  of  John  Wycliffe  Taylor  and  his  wife,' Aunt  Salhe. 

SCHUYLER  COUNTY. 

Bader. 

Present  membership,  90;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible- 
school   enrollment,  73. 

Bethany  (Rushville). 

Organized  1S71,  by  Alpheus  Brown  and  A.  S.  Robinson; 
present  membership,  30;  value  of  property,  $600;  Bible 
school  began  1871  ;  present  enrollment,  37. 

The  church  has  been  served  chiefly  by  the  pastors  in 
Rushville. 

Browning. 

Organized  1894,  by  L.  F.  Davis;  present  membership,  12; 
value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1894;  present 
enrollment,  48. 

Meetings  were  held  in  a  hall  for  a  year  and  a  half,  v/hen 
the  chapel  was  built. 

Camden. 

Organized  1865,  by  Henry  Smithers ;  present  member- 
ship, 45;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1865; 
present  enrollment,  92. 

The  church  was  reorganized  in  1871.  Besides  Mr.  Smith- 
ers, the  following  ministers  have  served  the  congregation: 
\V.  T.  Dunkerson,  Martin  Sharpies,  Alpheus  Brown,  Henry 
Pruett,  B.  F.  Shepard,  C.  B.  Newnan,  J.  O.  Walton,  D.  E. 
Hughes,  Hervey  Scott,  C.  B.  Dabney,  Geo.  Chandler  and  W. 
E.  Roberts. 

Frederick. 

Organized  1890,  by  D.  E.  Huehes ;  present  membership, 
12;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1852; 
present  enrollment,  59. 

A  Sunday  school  was  begun  in  1852.    A  number  of  Dis- 


CHURCHES  383 

ciples  resided  here,  for  whom  J,  B.  Royal  and  Orin  Dilley 
preached  occasionally.  The  church  was  organized  at  the 
close  of  a  meeting  conducted  by  Minister  Hughes.  A  chapel 
was  built  at  once. 

As  preachers,  D.  L.  Kincaid,  W.  G.  Groves,  L.  F.  Davis, 
Isaac  Beckelhymer,  J.  W.  Knight  and  Clyde  Lyon  have 
served  the  congregation.  Removals  and  indifference  have 
made  the  church  few  and  feeble. 

Pleasantview, 

\^alue  of  property,  $600;  Bible-school  enrollment,  60. 

Ray. 

Organized  1895,  by  D.  E.  Hughes ;  present  membership, 
7S\  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1890; 
present  enrollment,  84. 

Public  worship  was  conducted  in  the  schoolhouse  until 
the  chapel  was  built  the  next  year.  Besides  Mr.  Hughes, 
H.  C.  Littleton,  G.  W.  Ford,  J.  W.  Carpenter,  G.  W.  Ross, 
H.  L.  Maltman  and  Evangelist  J.  D.  Williams  have  served 
the  church. 

Rushville. 

Organized  1833,  by  Barton  W.  Stone;  present  member- 
ship, 225;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 200. 

The  first  preaching  in  Schuyler  County  by  a  Christian 
minister  was  about  1829  by  James  Hughes.  He  was  on  his 
v/ay  home  from  Ohio  to  Missouri  and  stopped  at  the  home 
of  Benjamin  Chadsey,  one  of  the  prominent  early  settlers. 
This  was  two  and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  Rushville.  The 
preaching  of  Mr.  Hughes  was  eagerly  welcomed  by  the 
scattered  Christians  in  the  community. 

In  1832,  Barton  W.  Stone  came  up  from  Jacksonville 
and  held  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  old  log  courthouse  in 
Rushville.  His  preaching  awakened  great  interest  in  the 
community.     In   1833,  James  W.  Davis  and  James  Urbank 


384  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

came  from  Kentucky  to  continue  the  work.     The  organiza- 
tion of  the  church  was  perfected  December  29. 

The  first  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1834  and  the 
present  one  in  1874.  The  congregation  has  passed  through 
high  tides  and  low  tides  of  prosperity  and  spiritual  Hfe. 

SCOTT    COUNTY. 

Exeter. 

Organized  by  David  Hobbs ;  present  membership,  88 ; 
value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible-school  enrollment,  78. 

Glasgow. 

Present  membership,  45;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  40. 

Manchester. 

Organized  1864;  present  membership,  68;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,500;   Bible-school  enrollment,  45. 

Two  of  the  charter  members  were  James  F.  Curtis,  who 
was  baptized  by  Mr.  Campbell  in  1832,  and  Mrs.  Eliza 
Billings,  who  is  the  sole  survivor.    J.  R.  Belvins  is  the  clerk. 

Winchester. 

Organized  1832;  present  membership,  300;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $7,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  140. 

Early  in  the  thirties  a  few  families  of  Disciples  came  to 
Winchester.  They  soon  found  one  another.  As  a  result, 
they  instituted  regular  weekly  meetings  in  their  homes  for 
public  worship.  They  ''broke  bread,"  read  the  Scriptures  and 
exhorted  one  another.  Among  them  there  were  Levi  Harlan 
and  Theophilus  Sweet,  to  whom,  doubtless,  belongs  the  honor 
of  this  beginning.  In  1838  this  church  had  100  members. 
In  the  earlier  years  a  lot  was  secured  in  the  southeast  part 
of  town  and  a  substantial  brick  house  built  thereon.  This 
served  the  congregation  until  1855,  when  it  was  sold  to  the 
Roman  Catholics.     A  more  central  place  was  secured  and  a 


CHURCHES  385 

two-story  brick  structure  was  erected  and  furnished  in  1866, 
during  the  pastorate  of  T.  J.  Marlow.  A  modern  edifice  was 
completed  in  1913. 

Among  the  early  preachers  here  there  were  William 
Strong,  John  T.  Jones,  D.  P.  Henderson,  W.  H.  Brown,  J. 
S.  Patton,  W.  W.  Happy,  John  Atkinson ;  then  David  Hobbs, 
N.  S.  Bastian,  E.  P.  Belsher,  J.  H.  Coats,  J.  S.  Sweeney  and 
others. 

The  church  has  the  usual  auxiliaries  and  is  in  a  healthy, 
growing  condition. 

SHELBY    COUNTY. 

About  1837,  Min.  B.  W.  Henry  organized  a  congrega- 
tion near  his  home  on  the  west  side  of  Okaw  Township. 
Two  or  three  years  later  a  log  house  was  built  for  the 
double  purpose  of  school  and  church,  and  was  so  occupied 
for  about  twenty  years.  Among  the  pioneer  preachers  who 
worked  there  were  B.  W.  Henry,-  Tobias  Grider,  Fleming, 
Goodman,  Storm,  Mulkey  and  Sconce.  In  the  early  fifties 
it  was  active  in  co-operative  missionary  work.  The  changing 
tides  of  human  life  later  on  carried  it  away. 

In  1871,  Min.  P.  P.  Warren  organized  the  Bethany  con- 
gregation in  Windsor  Township  with  fifty-three  members. 
From  1860  preaching  had  been  kept  up  at  this  point  by 
Ministers  Warren  and  Tobias  Grider,  under  the  direction  of 
the  Sand  Creek  Church,  and  the  converts  thus  made  were 
received  by  this  congregation  until  the  new  organization. 
Minister  Warren  served  Bethany  once  per  month  for  more 
than  twenty  years.  The  chapel  was  built  in  1871.  The  con- 
gregation gave  A.  J.  Nance  to  the  ministry.  It  died  by  con- 
servatism. 

The  Green  Creek  congregation  was  formed  in  Big  Spring 
Township  about  1850  and  did  good  service.  In  1855,  Evan- 
gelist Thomas  Goodman  organized  the  Mount  Pleasant  con- 
gregation in  Prairie  Township,  and  this  absorbed  the  first 
named.  The  meetings  were  held  first  in  the  Baker,  and  next 
in  the  Forrest,  Schoolhouse. 

13 


386         HISTORY  OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

James  Carr  preached  for  this  congregation  for  thirty 
years,  and  died  Uiere  in  1880  in  a  good  old  age,  loved  and 
respected  by  all.  Others  who  preached  here  were  Tobias 
Grider,  Wm.  Colson,  A.  A.  Lovins,  J.  L  Seward,  J.  M.  Mor- 
gan and  Isaac  McCash. 

In  January,  1880,  Min.  L.  M.  Linn  held  a  meeting  of 
days  in  Shelby  Township  and  formed  the  Oak  Grove  congre- 
gation with  thirty-six  members.  A  union  chapel,  part  Uni- 
tarian, was  built.     The  spiritual  life  is  feeble. 

In  1873,  Tobias  Grider  formed  the  Union  congregation  in 
the  Hidden  Schoolhouse,  on  the  Hne  of  Okaw  and  Shelby 
Townships,  with  fourteen  members.  It  died  at  the  close  of 
thirty  years. 

Min.  B.  R.  Gilbert  organized  the  Zion  congregation  on 
the  west  side  of  Todd's  Point  Township  in  1878  with  thirty- 
two  members.  The  same  year  a  chapel  costing  $1,200  was 
built.  The  church  met  regularly  for  worship  on  the  Lord's 
Days  and  maintained  a  mid-week  prayer-meeting.  It  died  of 
conservatism. 

In  April,  1860,  Min.  John  Sconce  formed  a  congregation 
in  a  log  schoolhouse  near  the  northeast  corner  of  Todd's 
Point  Township  with  fifty-eight  members,  which  was  known 
as  Welborn  Creek  Church.  A  chapel  costing  $1,200  was 
built  in  1871,  located  three  miles  north  of  the  site  of  Findley. 
The  growth  of  towns  on  railways  reduced  its  strength,  but 
its  dissolution  was  hastened  by  a  contention  of  two  of  its 
men  over  a  stalk-field.  It  disbanded  about  1900.  The  house 
still  stands  there.  Its  remnants  went  to  Findley  and  Bethany 
Churches. 

The  Pleak  congregation,  six  miles  southeast  of  Mowea- 
qua,  was  formed  with  twenty  members  by  Min.  J.  D.  Morgan 
in  1880.  A  substantial  chapel  was  built  in  a  few  years,  but 
the  title  never  passed  to  the  congresfation.  A  political 
quarrel  divided  the  membership  and  killed  the  church.  F. 
M.  Pleak,  the  leader  of  this  work,  died  in   1902. 

Many  of  these  were  sincere  but  mistaken  efforts  to  justly 
apply  the  great  principles  of  the  gospel. 


CHURCHES  387 

Ash  Grove  (Windsor). 

Organized  1832,  by  Jackson  Storm ;  present  membership, 
400;  value  of  property,  $4,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  80. 

This  location  is  four  miles  southeast  of  Windsor.  For 
many  years  it  was  known  as  the  Cochran's  Grove  Church. 
It  was  organized  in  a  log  residence.  Some  time  later  a  log 
chapel  was  built,  which  was  used  till  1858.  Then  a  large 
frame  building  was  erected,  which  in  turn  gave  place  to  the 
present  building  in  1887.  The  site  of  these  four  buildings 
has  changed  but  little.  The  lot,  with  the  adjacent  cemetery 
ground,  was  given  to  the  congregation  by  Greenup  Storm, 
one  of  the  strong  and  godly  pioneers.  The  thirteen  charter 
members  were;  John  Storm,  Sr.,  and  wife,  Wm.  Duggar  and 
wife,  Wm.  Bennett  and  Vv^ife,  Daniel  Green  and  wife,  John 
Storm,  Jr.,  and  wife,  Joseph  Dickerson  and  wife,  and  Stella 
Good.  The  church  has  had  a  long,  useful  and  honorable 
life.  It  was  the  mother  of  Windsor,  Gays  and  Lower  Ash 
Grove,  a  conservative  society.  W.  B.  Bennett  served  the 
congregation  fifty  years  as  an  elder.  Most  of  the  pioneers 
of  that  section  preached  there.  H.  H.  Harrell  served  the 
church  ten  years.  It  is  now  in  sympathy  with  world-wide 
missions.  It  has  given  to  the  ministry  James  Brady,  W.  R. 
Storm  and  Homer  Storm. 

Brunsivick. 

Organized  1860,  by  B.  W.  Henry;  value  of  property, 
$2,000;  Bible  school  began  1869;  present  enrollment,  57. 

For  many  years  this  was  known  as  the  Antioch  Church 
of  Christ.  The  charter  members  were  John,  Sr.,  Sarah  S., 
James  and  Mary,  Andy  and  Elizabeth  Barrickman  ;  Martha 
Christman,  Rebecca  Galyer,  W.  H.  Jackson,  Leah  James; 
William,  Isaac,  Sr.,  Samuel,  Nathan,  Eleanor,  Lydia  and 
Ellen  Killam ;  E.  J.  and  James  ^Tiller,  Jacob  Morehouse, 
Hiram  and  Rachel  Pogue,  Henry  and  Isabel  Prichard,  H.  C. 
and  Margaret  Robertson,  John  and  Eliza  Smith,  and  C.  L. 
Scott. 


388  HISTORY    OF   THE    DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

When  the  village  of  Brunswick  grew  up  about  the 
church  its  name  was  changed  to  harmonize  therewith.  The 
present  chapel  was  built  in  1868.  An  organ  was  first  used 
in  1910 

Cozuden. 

Organized  1899,  by  W.  Bedell;  present  membership,  120; 
value  of  property,  $2,100;  Bible  school  began  1899;  present 
enrollment,   145. 

This  church  started  right  and  has  grown  steadily  in  use- 
fulness. It  is  well  organized.  The  active  members  include 
the  McMillen,  Mason,  Reynolds,  Ballenbaugh,  Prater  and 
Jewett  families. 

Findlay. 

Organized  1906,  by  H.  E.  Monser;  present  membership, 
90;  value  of  property,  $6,000;  Bible  school  began  1906; 
present  enrollment,  94. 

Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  A.  H.  Terry  moved  from  Shelbyville  to 
Findley  in  1903.  The  Christian  Church  there  was  so  con- 
servative that  it  was  doing  little.  In  1905,  through  the  influ- 
ence of  Mrs.  Terry,  an  auxiliary  to  the  C.  W.  B.  M.  of 
twelve  members  was  formed.  A  meeting  by  Mr.  Monser  in 
November,  1906,  resulted  in  the  organization  of  a  church  of 
eighty-eight  members.  It  is  active  and  aggressive.  A  brick 
building  was  finished  and  occupied  in  January,  1909.  Miss 
Olive  was  set  apart  to  the  ministry  by  this  church.  There 
is  also  a  conservative  church  here. 

Henton. 

Organized  1850,  by  B.  W.  Henry;  present  membership, 
127;  value  of  property,  $4,500;  Bible-school  enrollment,  100. 

Mr.  Henry  and  others  preached  for  several  years  in  this 
community  before  1850.  There  were  twenty-five  charter 
members  in  the  Prairie  Bird  Church.  This  beautiful  name 
gave  way  to  Henton  when  the  railroad  came  and  the  village 
started.     The  first  elders  were  Lindsay   McMorris,   Chatter 


CHURCHES  389 

Kelly  and  Elijah  Waggoner,  and  the  first  deacons,  J.  T.  and 
\K.  M.  Smith.    The  first  house  was  built  in  1857. 
J.  O.  Henry  was  here  ordained  to  the  ministry. 

Herrick. 

Present  membership,  25;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  84. 

Mode, 

Organized  1880,  by  L.  M.  Linn ;  value  of  property,  $500. 

Evangelist  Linn,  working  under  the  auspices  of  the 
County  Co-operation,  held  a  meeting  of  weeks  in  the  winter 
of  this  year  and  formed  the  church  with  fifty-one  members. 
A  union  chapel  was  built  shortly  thereafter.  Now  there  is 
only  a  small  Bible  school. 

Mozveaqua. 

Organized  1896,  by  M.  Ingles;  present  membership,  258; 
value  of  property,  $6,000;  Bible  school  began  1896;  present 
enrollment,  119. 

William  Richhart  led  in  the  formation  of  this  church. 
On  his  invitation  the  first  sermons  by  a  Christian  preacher 
were  delivered  by  Minister  Doty.  There  were  forty-two 
charter  members. 

A  good  church  building  was  soon  put  up.  A.  R.  Spicer 
was  the  first  pastor. 

New  Liberty  (Windsor). 

Organized  1871. 

About  1840  a  log  chapel  was  built  in  the  northeast  corner 
of  Windsor  Township.     It  had  two  chimneys  and  a  dirt  floor. 

Ministeis  Grider,  Henry,  Storm,  Fleming  and  Goodman 
preached  there.  The  resident  members  formed  part  of  the 
Sand  Creek  Church  till  1871,  when  a  separate  congregation, 
called  Wolf  Creek,  was  formed.  The  log  house  had  then 
disappeared,  for  meetings  were  held  in  the  Dodson  and 
Baker  Schoolhouses  till  1874,  when  a  chapel  was  built.     The 


390  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

name  was  then  changed  to  New  Liberty.  It  gave  Jesse 
Baugher  to  the  ministry.  About  18S0,  under  the  lead  of  P. 
P.  Warren,  it  became  ultra-conservative. 

Rocky  Branch    (Tower  Hill). 

Organized  1850,  by  B.  W.  Henry. 

Meetings  were  held  in  Rose  Township  by  Ministers 
Henry,  M.  R.  Chew  and  Edward  Evy  about  this  date  in  resi- 
dences, in  Black  Log  Schoolhouse  and  in  a  grove.  One  of 
these,  conducted  by  Mr.  Henry,  resulted  in  fifty  conversions. 
The  consequent  congregation  passed  through  many  expe- 
riences, prosperous  and  adverse.  Many  times  all  efforts 
ceased.  A  neat  chapel  was  built.  Now  no  meetings  of  any 
kind  are  held. 

Sand  Creek    (Windsor). 

Organized  1834,  by  John  Storm ;  present  membership,  25. 

This  place  is  three  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Wind- 
sor. The  eleven  charter  members  were  Benjamin  Weeks 
and  wife,  Joseph  Baker,  wife  and  son,  Ashley  Baker  and 
wife,  Louis  Ledbetter  and  wife,  Sarah  Bougher  and  Rachel 
Wallace.  Min.  Tobias  Grider  gave  one  acre  of  land  for  the 
building-site.  The  first  house  was  of  logs,  built  in  1834; 
the  second,  a  frame,  built  in  1857,  and  the  third,  a  brick, 
built  in  1874. 

For  fifty  years  this  congregation  was  prosperous  and 
useful.  It  enrolled  from  twelve  hundred  to  fifteen  hundred 
members,  and  gave  to  the  ministry  Isaac  Miller,  Nathan 
Rice,  P.  P.  Warren,  A.  A.  Loomis  and  L.  P.  Phillips.  In 
the  log  chapel  in  1850  a  missionary  co-operation,  including 
Shelby,  Moultrie  and  Macon  Counties,  was  formed.  Peace 
and  prosperity  continued  till  1889,  when  Min.  Daniel  Som- 
mer  came  and  began  an  as^gressive  opposition  to  the  use  of 
instrumental  music  in  public  worship  and  other  "innova- 
tions." This  church  had  never  used  an  organ  and  had  no 
thought  of  introducing  one  until  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Som- 
mer  created  a  desire  and  a  demand    for    its    introduction. 


CHURCHES  391 

This  led  to  a  division  in  1904  and  to  a  suit  at  law  for  the 
property.  This  was  decided  by  the  State  Supreme  Court  at 
the  October  term,  1905,  in  favor  of  the  conservatives,  they 
being  the  majority.  It  was  here  that  the  pigmy  and  disloyal 
"Address  and  Declaration"  was  issued  in  1889  (see  Chap. 
VIIL).  By  that  act  thi^  church  wrote  'Tchabod"  in  large 
letters  upon  its  record. 

Those  members  who  protested  against  these  puerile  pro- 
ceedings have  since  then  conducted  public  worship  and  work 
in  a  near-by  schoolhouse.  They  have  been  faithful  and 
blessed  of  God. 

Shelhyvillc. 

Organized  1831,  by  Bushrod  W.  Henry;  present  member- 
ship, 500;  value  of  property,  $7,500;  Bible  school  began 
1831 ;  present  enrollment,  140. 

This  church  was  constituted  as  the  "First  Baptist  Church 
of  Christ  in  Shelbyville."  Mr.  Henry's  sermons  reflected  his 
growing  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  and  called  out  the 
opposition  of  his  conservative  Baptist  brethren.  Their  doc- 
trinal differences  widened  so  that  Mr.  Henry  and  his  friends 
were  excluded  from  the  Baptist  fellowship.  By  1834  they 
had  discarded  the  name  Baptist,  and  by  1836  had  fully 
organized  "the  church  of  God  in  Christ  in  Shelbyville."  The 
first  elders  were  B.  W.  Henry  and  J.  J.  Page.  The  former 
giving  much  of  his  time  to  evangelizing,  the  care  of  the 
church  devolved  chiefly  upon  Mr.  Page.  For  thirty-five 
years  he  was  a  most  faithful  elder  in  every  way  as  set  forth 
it\  the  New  Testament.  Reuben  and  Martha  Wright,  Mrs. 
Enfield  Tacket  and  Mrs.  Polly  Smith  were  also  among  the 
first  members  whose  devotion  to  the  church  was  long  known. 
Mr.  Henry  continued  his  ministry  with  the  congregation  as 
he  was  able.  About  1845  the  first  church  house  was  built. 
It  stood  diagonally  across  the  street  from  the  present  build- 
ing. This  was  used  until  alx)ut  1878.  when  the  brick  build- 
ing still  in  use  was  finished.  In  1849,  A.  D.  Northcutt 
served    the    church,    which    prospered    under    his    ministry. 


392  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

About  the  same  time,  Min.  W.  II.  Brown  held  a  public  debate 
in  the  Christian  chapel.  General  Thornton  served  as  presid- 
ing moderator.  The  discussion  resulted  in  greatly  strength- 
ening the  church  of  Christ. 

Some  of  the  pastors  who  have  served  the  church  were 
N.  S.  Bastian,  Dr.  A.  L.  Kellar,  Theo.  Brooks,  J.  G.  Wag- 
goner, and  now  W.  G.  McColley.  It  gave  O.  P.  Wright  to 
the  ministry. 

J.  Fred  Miller,  Wm.  Chew,  W.  F.  Turney  and  J.  W. 
Loyd  are  held  in  grateful  remembrance.  J.  D.  Miller  and 
W.  C.  Kelly  have  been  active  and  efficient  members  for  the 
past  twenty  years. 

The  church  is  well  organized,  with  an  average  aggressive- 

Stewardson. 

Present  membership,  320;  value  of  property,  $2,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  142. 

Tower  Hill 

Organized  by  W.  H.  Boles;  present  membership,  50; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  46. 

Windsor. 

Organized  1857;  present  membership,  273;  value  of  prop- 
erty, including  parsonage,  $3,500;  Bible  school  began  1860; 
present  enrollment,  110. 

It  is  not  known  who  of  the  pioneers  planted  this  congre- 
gation or  the  exact  year.  It  was  served  in  its  earlier  period 
by  those  ministers  who  laid  the  foundations  of  the  Restora- 
tion movement  in  that  section.  Later,  there  were  Z.  T. 
Sweeney,  Thomas  Edwards  and  J.  H.  Hite.  Many  pro- 
tracted meetings  were  held  by  Ellis  Zound,  Isaac  Mulkey, 
W.  F.  Black,  Wm.  Patterson,  James  Connor  and  E.  J.  Hart. 
A.  D.  Fillmore,  the  sweet  singer,  led  the  church.  The  chapel 
was  built  in  1859.  In  the  later  seventies.  Dr.  Jesse  Yoar 
left  by  his  will  $1,000  to  the  congregation  to  be  permanently 
invested  for  its  benefit. 


CHURCHES  393 

J.  H.  Price  and  Thomas  Henry  were  elders  and  strong 
men  in  the  community.  Mr.  Henry  served  in  the  House  of 
the  General  Assembly  of  Illinois.  J.  D.  Bruce,  a  deacon,  is 
the  sole  surviving  charter  member. 

ST.   CLAIR  COUNTY. 

East  St.  Louis  First. 

Organized  1890,  by  J.  T.  Boone;  present  membership, 
445;  value  of  property,  $34,000;  Bible  school  began  1890; 
present  enrollment,  149. 

This  church  had  what  most  people  call  a  feeble  beginning. 
There  were  eight  women,  residents  here  at  the  time,  who  had 
been  Disciples  at  various  other  places.  These  united  their 
heads  and  their  hearts  to  have  a  church  home  that  should  be 
Christian  only.  A  third-floor  hall  was  secured  and  Minister 
Boone,  then  a  resident  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  conducted  a  two 
weeks'  meeting  with  thirty  additions.  Then  the  thirty-eight 
members  organized  and  moved  to  another  hall.  Next,  meet- 
ings were  held  in  a  schoolhouse  until  the  growing  congre- 
gation moved  into  their  chapel  at  Seventh  Street  and  St. 
Clair  Avenue.  There  they  met  for  nineteen  years.  In  1910 
they  moved  into  the  beautiful  modern  edifice  at  the  corner 
of  Washington  Place  and  Belmont  Avenue. 

The  church  has  had  fifteen  pastors,  the  present  minister 
being  Meade  E.  Dutt. 

There  is  a  strong  Papal  following  in  this  city,  yet  this 
church  of  Christ  has  moved  steadily  forward.  Many  things 
have  happened  in  their  Christian  service  which  have  caused 
their  hearts  to  rejoice.     Their  prospects  are  bright. 

East  St.  Louis — Lansdowne. 

Organized  1905,  by  C.  O.  Reynard;  present  membership, 
120;  value  of  property,  $4,000;  Bible  school  began  1905; 
present  enrollment,  162. 

This  was  the  second  church  in  St.  Clair  County  that 
aimed  to  be  Christian  only.     There  were  thirty-two  charter 


394  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

members.  The  first  meetings  were  held  in  a  portable  school 
building,  the  use  of  which  was  secured  for  this  purpose  by 
Mr.  D.  Walter  Potts,  city  superintendent  of  the  public 
schools.     A  chapel  was  built  in  a  short  time. 

Mrs.  Agnes  Potts,  whose  father  was  a  minister  and  who 
is  the  oldest  member  of  the  congregation,  had  much  to  do 
with  its  organization.  The  first  elders  were  J.  H.,  A.  A.  and 
D.  Walter  Potts.  There  are  many  "Potts"  in  this  church,  but 
the  material  is  good. 

STARK    COUNTY. 

La  Fayette. 

Organized  1847,  by  John  E.  Murphy ;  present  member- 
ship, 62;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $5,000; 
Bible  school  began  1848 ;  present  enrollment,  46. 

The  charter  members  were  Charles,  Tyrus,  Laura,  Ezra 
and  Emiline  Himes ;  Lewis  H.,  David  T.  and  Polly  M.  Fitch; 
Flenry  Hardman,  Hyram  Nance,  William  and  Maria  Lake, 
and  Melia  Dunbar.  The  first  elders  were  Charles  Himes  and 
John  Bryan ;  the  first  deacons,  Lewis  H.  Fitch  and  William 
Lake. 

Fifteen  members  were  added  Aug.  21,  1848.  There  were 
nearly  one  hundred  on  the  roll  at  the  end  of  1858. 

The  earlier  ministers,  besides  Mr.  Murphy,  were  M.  P. 
King,  F.  M.  Dodge  and  Messrs.  Woodruff,  Sick,  Yearnshaw, 
Davenport,  Arne  and  Adams. 

The  first  money  paid  for  missions  was  $7.40.  It  was  col- 
lected and  paid  over  by  the  church  treasurer,  W.  Lovely,  to 
the  State  Missionary  Society,  meeting  at  W^alnut  Grove, 
Sept.  5,  1851. 

These  data  are  taken  from  the  first  records  of  the  church 
by  Irvin  Ingles. 

Toulon. 

Organized  1849,  by  David  McCance;  present  membership, 
82;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began  1855; 
present  enrollment,  65. 


CHURCHES  395 

The  organization  was  made  in  the  old  courthouse,  with 
the  following  charter  members:  David  McCance  and  wife, 
Edward  Wilson  and  wife,  Elijah  McClennahan  and  wife, 
Henry  Sweet  and  James  Boles.  The  congregation  grew,  so 
that  meetings  were  held  next  in  the  schoolhouse,  then  in 
Temperance  Hall,  which  was  the  place  of  meeting  till  1855, 
when  the  present  church  building  was  erected. 

Robert  H.  Newton  and  Clyde  Lyon  have  gone  from  this 
church  into  the  ministry. 

There  was  a  church  also  at  Wyoming,  but  it  was  short- 
lived. 

A  church  with  six  members  was  formed  at  the  residence 
of  Ephraim  Barth,  in  the  south  part  of  this  county,  in  1846. 

STEPHENSON    COUNTY. 

■   Frceport. 

Organized  1906,  by  O.  F.  Jordon  and  J.  M.  Taylor; 
present  membership,  60;  value  of  property,  $4,000;  Bible 
school  began  1906;  present  enrollment,  60. 

This  work  has  been  difficult  and  slow,  but  under  the  pas- 
torate of  E.  T.  Cornelius  it  has  advanced  to  hopefulness. 
The  meetings  have  been  held  in  the  courthouse,  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
building  and,  for  a  considerable  time,  in  the  Masonic 
Temple,  but  a  chapel  in  the  near  future  is  a  possibility. 

A  small  congregation  was  formed  in  this  county  in  1840 
by  Henry  Howe. 

About  1847,  Dr.  W.  P.  Naramore  formed  a  church  of 
Christ  about  two  miles  west  of  Oneca,  where  he  then 
resided.  It  was  known  as  the  Mt.  Pleasant  Church  and  still 
lives. 

TAZEWELL  COUNTY. 

The  first  sermon  preached  in  Little  Mackinaw  Township 
was  in  the  home  of  Thomas  F.  Railsback  by  Min.  John  Oat- 
man  in  1831.  This  residence  was  four  males  south  and  one- 
quarter  mile  east  of  Mackinaw  town.  Li  ^fr.  Railsback's 
residence  the  Little  Mackinaw    Church    was    organized    in 


396  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

1833,  but  its  local  name  was  applied  later.  The  original 
members  were  Thomas  F.  Railsback  and  wife  Louisa,  A.  B. 
Davis,  Catherine  Allensworth,  and  Benjamin  lierndon  and 
wife  Nancy.  For  many  years  they  met  in  a  log  schoolhouse 
one-half  mile  south — at  the  Gaines  Cemetery.  Mere  rests 
the  sacred  dust  of  these  six  godly  pioneers. 

Min.  James  A.  Lindsey  was  the  first  preacher  in  charge. 
Others  who  followed  him  were  Wm.  Ryan,  Wm.  Davenport, 
H.  D.  Palmer  and  G.  W.  Minier.  From  1853-63  their  meet- 
ings were  held  one  mile  north  in  the  Four  Corners  School- 
house.  In  1863  a  church  building  was  erected  two  miles 
eastward.  This  place  is  three  miles  north  of  Minier.  For 
nearly  forty  years  at  this  place  this  church  did  admirable 
work.  For  decades  the  Little  Mackinaw  Church  was  well 
and  widely  known.  New  towns  grew  as  the  railways  were 
built.  Out  of  this  hive  there  went  swarms  of  Disciples,  to 
Mackinaw  town,  to  Minier,  to  Concord  and  to  Lilly  congre- 
gations. And  so  the  dear  mother  died,  and  in  1893  her  house 
was  sold.     The  records  are  with  W.  L.  Dickson,  Minier,  111. 

The  Antioch  Church  was  located  six  miles  south  of  Fre- 
mont and  one  and  a  half  miles  east  of  the  village  of  Dillon. 
It  was  organized  in  the  middle  thirties  and  was  the  first 
church  in  that  township.  Those  forming  it  were  Jesse 
Fisher,  Jerome  Waltmire,  William  Dillon,  Abner  Rulon  and 
others.  The  first  building  was  erected  in  1838  and  the  pres- 
ent one  in  1858  at  a  cost  of  $600.  It  is  beautifully  located 
and  is  yet  in  good  condition.  The  congregation  has  disap- 
peared.    Its  records  are  with  William  Bennett,  Delavan,  111. 

Tennessee  Point  Church  v/as  about  three  miles  northeast 
of  Fremont.  It  consisted  of  only  five  families;  namely,  the 
Front,  Speece,  I.  Stout,  Shaw  and  A.  N.  Page.  Their  meet- 
ings were  held  in  a  schoolhouse.  It  disappeared  with  the 
forming  of  the  Concord  congregation. 

The  Hieronymus  Grove  Church  house,  located  four  miles 
northeast  of  Armington,  was  built,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,  in 
1869  by  Enoch  Hieronymus,  deceased.  The  congregation 
organized  in  October.     It  did  good  work  for  forty  years  and 


CHURCHES  397 

then  disbanded,  its  members  uniting  with  other  near-by 
churches  of  Christ.  All  of  its  original  members  have  passed 
except  B.  R.  Hieronymus,  of  Springfield,  and  Wm.  Darnell, 
of  Stanford. 

For  a  little  while  there  was  a  small  congregation  in 
Fremont,  but  they  never  owned  a  chapel.  Wm.  Gaither, 
Stephen  Stout  and  Wm.  Johnson  and  wife  were  members 
there.     They  united  with  the  Antioch  congregation. 

At  the  village  of  Boynton  a  church  grew  and  served  for 
many  years,  but  finally  failed  by  reason  of  removals  and  the 
formation  of  congregations  in  other  towns.  The  Armington 
people  are  giving  the  Boynton  community  some  attention. 

An  earnest  effort  was  made  to  establish  a  church  after 
the  primitive  order  at  Delavan.  Mr.  Jerome  Waltmire,  a 
sincere  and  devoted  Disciple,  moved  there  to  reside  and  led 
in  the  effort.  Through  his  work  a  good  church  house  was 
built  and  a  congregation  gathered.  Delavan  had  a  large  per- 
centage of  people  of  New  England  blood  and  traditions  and 
they  were  mostly  satisfied  with  the  denominational  phases  of 
faith  and  life.     The  effort  failed  and  the  property  was  sold. 

Concord   (Minier). 

Organized  1870,  by  George  Campbell;  present  member- 
ship, 90;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1870; 
present  enrollment,  107. 

A  Sunday  school  was  formed  in  the  Black  Jack  School- 
house  about  1863,  about  eight  miles  northwest  of  the  site  of 
Minier.  Beginning  in  1867,  Mr.  Slater  taught  the  school 
there  for  two  years  and  often  preached  on  Sundays.  He 
made  a  number  of  converts.  Others  who  preached  there  in 
the  early  days  were  James  Robeson,  James  and  Ira  Mitchell, 
Bailey  Chaplin,  Caleb  Hainline,  Eli  Fisher,  G.  W.  Minier 
and  Isaac  and  Elijah  Stout.  These  ministers  received  little 
or  no  remuneration  for  this  work.  Those  meetings  were 
attended  by  multitudes  and  many  became  Christians.  There 
were  forty  or  more  charter  members,  thirty-one  of  whom 
brought  letters   from  the  Little  Mackinaw  Church.     It  was 


398  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

about  this  time  also  that  the  congregation  at  Tennessee  Point 
disbanded  and  some  of  those  members  came  here. 

Under  the  leadership  of  Min.  Isaac  Stout  a  church  house 
was  completed  in  1872.  Most  of  the  materials,  except  the 
heavy  timbers  and  walnut  seating,  were  hauled  from  Peoria. 
Samuel  Nutty  gave  one  acre  and  a  half  of  ground  for  the 
site.  An  addition  was  made  to  this  building  in  1894.  Mr. 
Campbell  conducted  the  worship  when  the  house  was  first 
occupied  and  gave  to  the  place  and  congregation  the  local 
designation  ''Concord,"  and  he  prayed  that  it  might  never 
become  a  discord. 

Since  then,  preaching  has  been  maintained  half-time,  but 
rarely  has  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  Supper  been  omitted. 
A  good  Bible  school  and  C.  W.  B.  M.  are  maintained. 

Deer  Creek. 

Organized  1906,  by  A.  L.  Huff ;  present  membership,  91 ; 
value  of  property,  $1,400;  Bible  school  began  1896;  present 
enrollment,  50. 

This  church  came  of  the  conscious  need  of  divine  truth 
bv  a  number  of  Disciples.  The  charter  members  were  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  D.  C.  Slyter,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Peifer,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  J.  M.  Davis,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  S.  Foster,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Albert  Wagner,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  E.  Graham,  Dr.  C.  M. 
Chapman,  Miss  Ruth  Chapman,  Wilford  ]\Iiller,  Isaac 
Malone,  Albert  Foster,  John  P.  Hall,  William  Therolis,  Mrs. 
Nancy  S.  Bogardus,  Mrs.  Fanny  M.  Stumbaugh.  Mrs. 
Seville  M.  Mooberry,  Mrs.  Sadie  Ammerman,  Mrs.  Alice 
Ransburg,  Misses  Grace  and  Cora  Ransburg,  and  Miss  Adda 
Ten  Eyck. 

The  meetings  were  held  in  a  public  hall.  Then  the  Pres- 
byterian chapel  was  bought  and  improved. 

Lilly. 

Org-anized  1837,  by  Janies  A.  Lindsey;  present  member- 
ship, 79;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1871; 
present  enrollment,  90. 


CHURCHES  399 

In  1859  a  number  of  members  peaceably  withdrew  from 
the  Mackinaw  Church  and  formed  a  congregation  at  the  Mt. 
Pleasant  Schoolhouse,  the  former  meeting-place.  It  was  one 
mile  south  of  Lilly,  which  fjrew  after  the  building  of  the 
railway.  In  1871  the  present  chapel  was  erected  there, 
which  has  since  been  the  meeting-place.  The  church  has 
never  been  strong,  but  has  done  good  work. 

William  Lindsay,  one  of  its  charter  members,  devoted  his 
best  energies  to  this  church  as  an  elder  for  more  than  forty 
years. 

Mackinaw. 

Organized  1837,  by  James  A.  Lindsey ;  present  member- 
ship, 509;  value  of  property,  $20,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 417. 

Min.  James  A.  Lindsey  came  from  Kentucky  to  Illinois 
in  1824  and  settled  in  the  eastern  part  of  Mackinaw  Town- 
ship, Tazewell  County.  It  is  provable  that  meetings  for 
public  worship  were  held  in  his  residence.  A  meeting  was 
held  in  what  in  later  years  was  known  as  Mt.  Pleasant 
Schoolhouse,  and  from  the  record  made  at  the  time  the  fol- 
lowing is  copied : 

On  Saturday,  the  last  day  of  September,  1837,  a  meeting  was  held 
at  a  schoolhouse.  Elder  Jas.  A.  Lindsey  addressed  the  meeting,  urging 
the  propriety  of  organizing  a  church  in  our  immediate  neighborhood 
on  purely  gospel  principles.  Before  adjourning,  the  Disciples  present 
mutually  agreed  to  procure  letters  of  commendation  from  the  churches 
where  they  held  membership  and  at  a  future  meeting  effect  such  an 
organization.  Accordingly,  on  the  following  Thursday,  the  5th  day 
of  October,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  residence  of  Michael  Hittle, 
and  the  church  was  fully  organized.  The  following  preamble  was  pre- 
sented : 

"We  whose  names  are  herewith  subscribed,  all  having  been  im- 
mersed on  a  profession  of  our  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God,  do 
agree  to  associate  and  co-operate  as  a  church  of  Christ,  to  be  known 
by  the  name  of  the  'Congregation  of  Disciples  of  Christ,'  and  meet 
for  worship  in  Tazewell  County,  Til.,  Township  24  North.  Range  2 
West  of  the  3rd.  Principal  Meridian ;  taking  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testament  for  the  articles  of  our  faith,  and  the  law  of 
our  Lord  as  exhibited  in  the  New  Testament  and  the  precepts  taught 


400  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

by  our  Lord  and  his  Apostles,  together  with  the  examples  of  the 
churches  set  in  order  by  them,  as  the  law  and  rule  of  discipline.  May 
the  Lord  help  us  to  know  and  do  his  will." 

The  foregoing  was  then  signed  by  the  following  persons :  James  A. 
Lindsey,  Jane  Lindsey,  Michael  Hittle,  Mary  Hittle^  R.  F.  Houston, 
E.  I.  L.  Houston,  Nehemiah  Hill,  Emely  Hill,  Jas.  Lindsey,  Mariah 
Lindsey,  Jesse  E.  Jackson,  Catharine  Jackson,  Elijah  Sargent,  Elinor 
R.  Miller,  Elizabeth  Lindsey,  Delila  Lindsey,  Wm.  Lindsey,  Alfred 
Lindsey,  John  Lindsey,  David  Lindsey,  Samuel  Flesher,  Geo.  Hittle, 
Nancy  Hittle :  twenty-three. 

R.  F.  Houston  was  chosen  clerk,  Geo.  Hittle  and  Samuel  Flesher 
were  chosen  elders,  and  Michael  Hittle  and  Nehemiah  Hill  as  deacons. 
James  A.  Lindsey,  being  at  that  time  an  efficient  preacher  with 
extended  acquaintance,  was  chosen  as  evangelist  and  authorized  to 
administer  all  the  ordinances  and  perform  all  the  duties  usually 
recognized  as  belonging  to  a  preacher  of  the  gospel.  It  was  unani- 
mously agreed  on  that  occasion  to  meet  on  the  first  day  of  every 
week  for  worship  if  not  providentially  prevented,  or  by  general  agree- 
ment to  meet  with  congregations  at  near-by  neighborhoods.  Alexander 
B.  Davis,  clerk  of  Little  Mackinaw  Christian  Church,  was  clerk  of 
this  meeting. 

Such  was  the  beginning  of  this  church,  at  first  called  Mt. 
Zion,  that  has  come  steadily  on  its  way  through  seventy-six 
years.  Ordinarily  no  records  were  kept  of  meetings  in  those 
early  times.  The  names  of  those  coming  into  the  church 
were  added  and  cases  of  discipline  were  noted.  Names  and 
dates  of  additions  to  this  church  indicate  a  regular  growth, 
mostly  by  primary  obedience. 

The  following  deserved  tribute  has  been  paid  to  the  mem- 
ory of  three  of  those  pioneers: 

Samuel  Flesher,  though  not  a  preacher,  was  well  read  in  the  Bible, 
of  unblemished  character,  fluent  in  exhortation  and  delighted  in  the 
public  service  of  the  church.  The  church  sustained  a  serious  loss 
when  in  May.   1841,  he  was  accidentally  drowned. 

George  Hittle,  though  his  German  brogue  somewhat  hindered  his 
speech,  by  his  earnest  zeal,  his  deep  piety,  his  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  Bible  and  withal  his  cheerful,  social  manner  with  everybody, 
had  a  power  not  often  excelled  as  a  leader.  Often  as  he  stood  before 
the  little  gatherings,  telling  of  the  supreme  love  of  the  Saviour,  his 
deep-feelirg  exhortation  had  a  joyous  effect  on  all  that  heard.  He 
died  in  1842. 

Michael  Hittle  was  active  as  a  deacon  for  more  than  twenty  years. 


CHURCHES  401 

He  held  steadfastly  to  the  supremacy  of  the  gospel  and  helped  in  its 
furtherance,  particularly  in  charity  for  the  needy.     He  died  in  1888. 

In  the  earlier  years  the  congregation  enjoyed  the  preach- 
ing of  Ministers  Lindsey,  Davenport,  Palmer,  Jones,  Peeler, 
Robeson,  Major  and  Minier.  In  1846-47,  William  Davenport 
rode  horseback  from  Eureka  once  a  month  and  preached 
three  sermons  each  time  to  the  church.  He  was  paid  $2.50 
per  trip. 

Up  to  1848  the  congregation  had  no  settled  place  for  its 
meetings.  In  that  year  they  decided  to  hold  the  regular 
meetings  in  the  village  of  Mackinaw,  and  soon  built  a  church 
house  there,  which  was  the  first  in  the  township.  This  house 
was  first  seated  with  six-inch  boards  laid  on  some  kind  of 
supports.  On  these  the  people  sat  the  day  the  house  was  first 
used  and  listened  attentively  to  Henry  D.  Palmer  preach  a 
sermon  three  hours  long.  The  second  house  was  built  in 
1875. 

This  church  finds  much  satisfaction  in  the  fact  that  it 
has  always  been  missionary  in  sentiment  and  practice.  In 
1850,  James  A.  Lindsey  went  as  a  delegate  to  Shelbyville 
when  the  State  Missionary  Society  was  organized.  Pie  was 
made  chairman  of  that  meeting  and  counted  it  one  of  the 
supreme  joys  of  his  long  and  faithful  ministry.  The  church 
record  shows  that  $10  was  contributed  to  State  Missions 
Aug.  31,  1851. 

The  church  holds  in  sacred  and  honored  memory  the 
names  of  not  a  few  men  and  women ;  among  them  are  Solo- 
mon Puterbaugh,  H.  J.  Puterbaugh  and  wife,  and  George 
Patterson. 

About  three  thousand  people  have  been  members  of  this 
church. 

It  has   given  to   the  ministry   John   Lindsey   and   Roscoe 

Hill 

M alone   (Green  Valley). 

Organized  1866;  present  membership,  20;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,200;  Bible  school  began  1866;  present  enrollment,  52. 
This  church  is  six  miles  southwest  of  Green  Valley.     The 


402  HISTORY    OF    THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

first  records  were  lost.  A  reorganization  was  made  in  1879, 
when  the  location  was  changed  four  miles  and  a  new  house 
bnilt.  Like  all  country  churches,  the  numbers  are  continually 
reduced  by  removals.  The  Bible  school  is  Evergreen.  There 
have  been  thirty-seven  preachers  who  have  served  here. 

Minicr. 

Organized  1874,  by  charter  members ;  present  member- 
ship, 222;  value  of  property,  $12,000;  Bible  school  began 
1874;  present  enrollment,   150. 

The  charter  members  were  the  following:  James  E.  and 
Ann  P.  Railsback,  N.  P.  and  Catherine  Williams,  Louisa 
Railsback,  Mary  Elliff,  T.  L.  Minier,  Jennie  Edmiston,  John 
V.  Quigg,  Elizabeth  and  Betsy  Johnson,  Lou  Ireland,  Lou 
McDowell,  Carrie  Baker,  Sophia,  Rodney  J.  and  Mary 
Mitchell.  All  of  these  were  former  members  of  the  church 
of  Christ  at  Little  Mackinaw.  The  first  officers  were  R.  J. 
Mitchell  and  J.  B.  Chaplin,  elders,  and  B.  N.  Ewing,  J.  W. 
Chidister  and  L.  L.  Munn,  deacons. 

The  church  has  had  some  superior  people,  one  of  whom 
was  Rodney  J.  Mitchell. 

Pekin. 

Organized  1876,  by  W.  F.  Richardson ;  present  member- 
ship, 250;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began 
1876;  present  enrollment,  310. 

This  church  was  organized  by  the  Tazewell  County 
Christian  Co-operation.  It  was  the  first  result  of  a  month's 
series  of  meetings  led  by  Mr.  Richardson.  There  were 
thirty-two  charter  members.  Of  these,  Mrs.  Emma  Inman 
is  the  only  faithful  member  remaining  here  now.  The 
Co-operation  rented  the  Universalist  chapel  for  one  year. 
The  management  of  the  congregation  was  given  temoorarily 
to  a  business  committee.  Later  Joseph  Hiett,  B.  R.  Hierony- 
mus  and  J.  E.  Jewett  w^ere  chosen  elders,  and  J.  S.  .Salee, 
William  Hiett,  James  Newkirk  and  Jobe  Hedges,  deacons. 
During  the  pastorate  of  T.  T.  Holton,  a  lot  was  purchased 


CHURCHES  403 

for  $500  and  a  chapel,  costing  $3,000,   was  built  thereon. 
Later,  it  was  enlarged  and  improved. 

During  the  first  years  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  Profs. 
B  J.  Radford,  H.  W.  Everest  and  others.  The  first  pastor 
did  the  church  much  harm. 

The  records  made  commendable  mention  of  Mrs.  Frances 
E.  V^an  Etta  for  her  wise  and  efiicient  services. 
The  church  has  all  helpful  auxiliaries. 

Washington. 

Organized  1834,  by  Richard  B.  McCorcle ;  present  mem- 
bership, 110;  value  of  property,  $3,700;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 70. 

The  following  were  the  charter  members:  Richard  B. 
IMcCorcle,  Isabel  McCorcle,  James  and  Mary  McClure,  John 
and  Martha  Johnson,  William  Holland,  Sr.,  Peter  and  Cath- 
erine Scott,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Goodwin,  Ruful  and  Catherine 
North,  Eliza  McCorcle,  Levi  and  Mrs.  Moulton,  Josiah  and 
Mrs.  Yager. 

This  church  has  had  its  ups  and  downs.  Many  of  its 
members  have  gone  West  to  found  homes  in  the  newer  coun- 
try. They  are  faithful  Christians  in  Iowa,  Kansas,  Nebraska 
and  other  States.  At  Ulysses,  Neb.,  twenty-six  of  the  char- 
ter members  were  from  the  Washington  Church.  It  is  not 
now  as  strong  as  formerly. 

The  first  building  was  erected  in  1850,  a  brick  which  is 
now  used  by  the  German  Lutheran  congregation.  More  room 
being  needed,  the  second  house  was  finished  and  occupied  in 

1869.  This  building  was   burned    the    following    February. 
The  third  house  was  completed    and    occupied    in    August, 

1870.  This  was  burned  in  October,   1876.     The   fourth  and 
present  building  was  first  used  in  July,  1877. 

The  church  has  given  to  the  ministry  three  brothers — B. 
W.,  R.  H.  and  J.  B.  Johnson,  sons  of  John  and  Martha  John- 
son— and  James  Kirk. 

The  church  still  has  its  face  toward  the  future  and  is 
Durposeful. 


404  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

UNION    COUNTY. 

Anna. 

Present  membership,  115;  value  of  property,  $5,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  108. 

Toledo   (Cobden), 

Present  membership,  50;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment.  36. 

This  is  one  of  the  oldest  churches  in  the  State.  Converts 
were  immersed  here  as  early  as  1836.  This  is  the  home  of 
Min.  C.  S.  Towne,  now  past  eighty,  an  able  writer  and 
faithful  preacher.  Robert  Brown,  R.  R.  No.  1,  is  the  cor- 
respondent. 

VERMILION    COUNTY. 

July  12,  1836,  Dr.  W.  Walters  wrote  that  he  had  organ- 
ized a  church  of  Christ  in  Danville ;  also  four  others  in  Ver- 
milion County ;  further,  that  he  had  gone  twenty-two  miles 
west  of  Danville  and  there  organized  another  church.  W.  S. 
Shockey  and  Hughes  Bowles  were  associated  with  Dr.  Wal- 
ters in  these  evangelistic  labors  in  those  early  days. 

About  1875  there  was  a  small  congregation  at  Fair- 
mount,  but  the  chapel  was  sold  under  the  mortgage  and  the 
members  scattered. 

Ahin. 

Organized  1897,  by  T.  L.  Stipp ;  present  memoership,  85 ; 
value  of  property,  $2,300;  Bible  school  began  1887;  present 
enrollment,  60. 

This  congregation  was  the  first  direct  result  of  a  series 
of  meetings  conducted  by  Evangelist  Stipp,  with  seventy-five 
additions.  The  place  was  an  old  building  that  had  been  used 
for  a  saloon,  but  became  a  public  hall  after  the  town  expelled 
the  traffic.  The  sittings  were  chiefly  boards  placed  on  the 
ends  of  beer-kegs.  An  old  pool-table  added  to  the  furnish- 
ings. 

The  chapel  was  built  the  next  year.     Mr.  Stipp  continued 


CHURCHES  405 

his  ministry  half-time  for  three  years.  Since  then  tlie  life 
of  the  congregation  has  been  precarious.  However,  a  good 
school  is  maintained  and  the  public  worship  is  kept  up  regu- 
larly. 

Antioch   (Rossville). 

Organized  1866,  by  James  Connor,  Sr. ;  present  member- 
ship, 195;  value  of  property,  $12,500;  Bible  school  began 
1868;  present  enrollment,   191. 

This  location  is  six  miles  southeast  of  Hoopeston.  The 
congregation  grew  out  of  a  meeting  of  days  conducted  by 
Minister  Connor,  who  served  the  church  several  years.  The 
charter  members  were  Mrs,  Huldah  Brown,  Joseph  Heaton 
and  wife,  Samuel  B.  Smith  and  wife,  Joseph  Youngblood, 
Frank  Youngblood  and  wife,  David  Newman  and  wife,  John 
Norton  and  wife,  John  Oliver,  Peter  Marlatt,  Thomas  Bietz 
and  wife  and  Mrs.  Mary  Kight.  All  of  these  have  gone  to 
their  long  home  except  Joseph  Youngblood  and  Mrs.  Thomas 
Bietz. 

In  1868  two  acres  of  ground  were  secured  and  a  frame 
chapel  built  thereon.  This  was  a  union  chapel,  being  shared 
in  its  uses  by  Methodist  brethren.  It  was  added  to  in  1890. 
In  1910  a  new  structure  of  brick,  fully  modern  and  very 
convenient  and  pleasing,  was  erected. 

This  is  known  as  the  Antioch  Church  of  Christ.  It  has 
always  had  the  missionary  spirit.  Every  year  the  congre- 
gation makes  its  offerings  to  all  the  regular  benevolences. 
In  1911  they  amounted  to  $240. 

This  church  has  given  to  the  Christian  ministry  Turlie 
McConnell,  Eldon  Norton,  Rudolph  Heicke  and  Orren  Ora- 
hood. 

Irving  Cromkite,  R.  R.  2,  is  the  clerk. 

Bethany. 

Organized  1875,  by  J.  C.  Myers;  present  membership,  20; 
value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1875;  present 
enrollment,  40. 


406  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

The  location  is  five  miles  northwest  of  Danville.  It  is 
also  known  as  Lone  Oak.  For  years  the  congregation  held 
large  influence  for  good  in  a  wide  community.  Preachers 
who  made  their  opinions  of  equal  authority  with  the  Scrip- 
ture came  and  sowed  the  seeds  of  dissension.  Wrangling 
supplanted  worship,  and  vilification  of  men  the  praise  of 
God.    The  congregation  was  divided  and  feebleness  followed. 

Bismark. 

Organized  1880,  by  T.  L.  Stipp;  present  membership, 
100;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1880; 
present  enrollment,  60. 

Mins.  J.  J.  Cosat  and  J.  C.  Myers  were  associated  with 
Mr.  Stipp  in  forming  this  church.  There  were  about  forty 
charter  members.  The  first  officers  were  Riley  Chandler, 
Wm.  Wilson  and  Samuel  Munnell,  elders ;  with  David  and 
Andrew  Claypool  and  Wm.  Holland,  deacons.  The  church 
was  rent  with  division  on  the  question  of  instrumental  music, 
Sunday  school  and  missions.  Finally,  those  opposing  these 
things  withdrew.  The  congregation  then  reorganized  and 
turned  its  thought  and  efifort  to  do  the  things  that  please 
God.  They  have  semi-monthly  preaching,  but  the  public 
worship  every  Lord's  Day.     J.  J.  Cosat  is  the  pastor. 

Catlin. 

Present  membership,  212;  value  of  property,  $5,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,   161. 

Central  Park   (Danville). 

Organized  1909,  by  E.  M.  Norton;  present  membership, 
47;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1909; 
present  enrollment,  57. 

This  congregation  is  also  known  as  Brook's  Chapel.  It 
is  in  a  suburb  of  Danville,  with  both  electric  and  steam 
roads,  and  has  a  fine  class  of  citizens. 

The  faithful  work  of  Minister  Norton  led  also  in  build- 
ing the  chapel.    Roy  Cronchite  is  the  pastor. 


CHURCHES  407 

Center  Point  (Fairmount). 

Organized  1891,  by  B.  N.  Anderson;  present  member- 
ship, 50;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1891; 
present  enrollment,  57. 

The  location  is  six  miles  southwest  of  Fairmount.  The 
congregation  contributes  to  missions  and  other  benevolences. 
There  is  a  good  Bible  school,  with  Adda  Smith,  superin- 
tendent. The  elders  are  E.  L.  Hawkins  and  E.  F.  Hines. 
Geo.  F.  Hedges  is  the  clerk.  Half-time  preaching  by  Pastor 
H.  H.  Williams. 

Cheneyville. 

Organized  1891,  by  J.  N.  Lester;  present  membership, 
109;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began  1891; 
present  enrollment,  77. 

The  present  elders  are  J.  M.  Swaner  and  Frank  Dice, 
with  Quince  Teagarden  and  Oscar  Young,  deacons.  B.  T. 
Nicholson  is  the  pastor.  This  is  his  first  work  in  Illinois. 
He  is  an  alert  and  earnest  minister. 

Danville  First. 

Organized  1871,  by  John  F.  Rowe;  present  membership, 
407;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $35,000;  Bible 
school  began  1871  ;  present  enrollment,  261. 

Minister  Rowe  conducted  a  meeting  of  days  in  Lincoln 
Hall,  on  West  Main  Street,  near  the  location  of  the  Plaza 
Hotel,  which  resulted  in  the  formation  of  this  church.  There 
were  about  forty  members.  H.  A.  Coffeen,  Parley  Martin 
and  Geo.  Dillon  were  the  first  elders.  Soon  thereafter  a 
small  chapel  was  built  on  Franklin  Street  where  415  is  now. 
This  was  used  till  1895,  when  the  present  commodious  edifice 
was  erected  on  the  corner  of  Oak  and  Seminary  Streets,  dur- 
ing the  pastorate  of  S.  S.  Jones. 

W.  R.  Jewell  first  preached  for  the  congregation,  mean- 
while editing  a  secular  paper. 

The  church  and  Bible  school  are  thoroughly  organized  for 
efficient  service.    In  1912,  $450  was  paid  for  missions. 


408  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

In  the  years  of  struggle,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hiram  Woods 
were  most  valuable  members. 

Danville  Second. 

Organized  1899,  by  S.  S.  Jones ;  present  membership, 
100;  value  of  property,  $10,000;  Bible  school  began  1899; 
present  enrollment,  72. 

This  church  was  formed  in  a  rented  building  in  German- 
town,  which  is  now  a  part  of  Danville,  with  seventy-five 
charter  members.  It  was  later  incorporated  as  "The  Second 
Church  of  Christ." 

Danville  Third. 

Organized  1902,  by  S.  S.  Jones;  present  membership, 
770;  value  of  property,  $20,000;  Bible  school  began  1902; 
present  enrollment,  396. 

This  congregation  is  the  outgrowth  of  a  mission  formed 
by  the  First  Church  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city  in  1901. 
Those  directly  interested  "covenanted  together  to  form  a 
church  to  be  known  as  the  Third  Church  of  Christ  of  Dan- 
ville, Illinois."  The  meetings  of  the  congregation  were  held 
in  a  hall,  a  storeroom  and  the  Garfield  School  building  till 
the  completion  of  the  church  building  in  1904.  It  is  located 
on  the  corner  of  English  and  Walnut  Streets. 

S.  S.  Jones  was  the  first  pastor. 

Danville  Fourth. 

Organized  1904,  by  E.  M.  Norton ;  present  membership, 
120;  value  of  property,  $12,000;  Bible  school  began  1904; 
present  enrollment,  95. 

There  were  about  seventy-five  charter  members.  The 
elders  are  Jehiel  Vance,  Jacob  Knee,  John  Hilman,  Joseph 
Boles  and  Harris  Smith,  with  Dr.  Redmon,  Dell  Peeler  and 
Edward  Swisher,  deacons.  Its  location  is  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  Fourth  Street  and  Cunningham  Avenue.  The  min- 
istry of  S.  S.  Jones  in  Danville  was  richly  blessed. 


CHURCHES  409 

Fithian. 

Organized  1884,  by  B.  A.  Anderson;  present  membership, 
11;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  no  Bible  school. 

Formerly  this  church  was  a  power  for  good  in  the  com- 
munity. Death  and  removals  have  nearly  dissolved  it. 
Fithian  is  a  good  little  town  in  a  fine  agricultural  section. 

Georgetown. 

Organized  1901,  by  S.  S.  Jones;  present  membership,  198; 
value  of  property,  $7,000;  Bible  school  began  1901;  present 
enrollment,   145. 

This  congregation  started  with  ninety-two  members  in 
January,  and  before  the  close  of  the  year  had  housed  itself 
in  a  good  brick  building. 

James  H.  Hewitt  has  been  one  of  the  most  valuable 
factors  in  the  church.     F.  H.  Vernon  is  the  pastor. 

Henning. 

Organized  1898,  by  J.  W.  Street;  present  membership, 
140;  value  of  property,  $2,250;  Bible-school  enrollment,  139. 

The  church  was  constituted  in  a  hall.  There  were  seven- 
teen charter  members,  most  of  whom  have  moved  away  or 
died.  With  experiences  that  are  common  to  village  congre- 
gations, it  prospers  and  does  good. 

C.  C.  Gaumer  is  the  pastor.  Miss  Edith  E.  M.  Seymore 
is  correspondent. 

Hoopeston. 

Organized  1873,  by  Rolla  M.  Martin;  present  member- 
ship, 535;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $20,000; 
Bible  school  began  1873 ;  present  enrollment,  270. 

This  church  of  Christ  had  its  beginning  almost  with  the 
city.  The  few  members  there  first  met  in  storerooms  and 
shops.  J.  F.  I^vlathers  and  Rolla  M.  Martin  were  the  early 
preachers. 

The  first  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1873,  under  Mr, 


410  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Martin's  ministry.     The  present  brick  edifice  was  erected  in 
18S^,   during  the  pastorate  of   R.   H.   Robertson. 

Hoopeston  is  a  city  of  superior  intelligence,  and  the 
church  of  Christ  is  abreast  of  the  times.  Andrew  Scott  is 
pastor. 

Indianola. 

Present  membership,  68;  value  of  property,  $3,500;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  67. 

Lowe's  Chapel   (Danville). 

Organized  1876,  by  J.  C.  Myers;  present  niembership,  (:^\ 
value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1876;  present 
enrollment,  50. 

This  chapel  is  eight  miles  southeast  of  Danville.  Mr. 
Myers,  like  his  Master,  w^as  a  carpenter,  so  after  forming  the 
congregation  he  built  their  chapel. 

James  A.  Fishback  is  elder ;  Oscar  Huff  and  Joseph  Fish- 
back,  deacons,  and  J.  J.  Cosat,  minister  for  one-fourth  time. 
The  church  has  never  been  strong,  and  has  been  further 
handicapped  by  ultra-conservative  preachers. 

No.  Eight   (Armstrong). 

Organized  1888,  by  Wm.  Hamilton :  present  membership, 
23;  value  of  property,  $400;  Bible  school  began  1892;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  37. 

This  congregation  was  formed  in  No.  8  Schoolhouse,  in 
Champaign  County,  with  about  eighty  members.  When  the 
chapel  was  built,  in  1892,  it  was  located  in  Vermilion 
County,   five  miles   southwest  of  Armstrong. 

Among  the  charter  members  were  O.  P.  and  Allen 
McGlaughlin  and  wives,  Anthony  Long  and  wife.  James 
Stuckey  and  wife,  John  Jeakim,  Marv  and  Carrie  Robertson, 
Viola  McGlaughlin,  and  Jessie  and  Flora  Tattershell.  From 
the  first.  157  persons  have  held  membership  here.  Harley 
Fetters  is  clerk. 


CHURCHES  411 

A^^.  Ten  (Potomac). 

Organized  1870,  by  Rolla  M.  Martin;  present  member- 
ship, 270;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible  school  began 
1870;  present  enrollment,  131. 

The  charter  members  were  George,  Georgt  W.,  Irene, 
Jr.,  Margaret,  Samuel,  Matilda  and  Irene  French;  Hosea, 
Alonzo,  Ellen,  Warren  and  Sarah  Knight;  Caleb  and  Mary 
J.  Albert ;  William,  Martha,  Samuel,  John  and  Rebecca 
McGee ;  Jane  Sweet,  Rebecca  Clemm,  Louisa  Cronkhite  and 
Mary  Tillotson.  The  first  officers  were  Hosea  Knight,  elder, 
with  George  French  and  Caleb  Albert,  deacons.  To  the 
original  twenty-three  members,  321  have  been  added. 

The  church  is  wide  awake  to  Home  and  Foreign  Mis- 
sions. 

It  is  served  by  four  elders  and  fourteen  deacons.  E.  C. 
Creighton  is  the  clerk,  and  E.  M.  Norton,  pastor.  It  is 
located  six  miles  southeast  of  Armstrong. 

Oakwood. 

Organized  1886,  by  Minister  Pine;  present  membership, 
129;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began  1886; 
present  enrollment,  130. 

There  were  fourteen  charter  members.  In  1892  the  con- 
gregation was  reorganized  by  S.  H.  Creighton  with  114 
members.  The  house  is  modern,  the  Bible  school  front  rank 
and  a  mid-week  prayer-meeting.  Geo.  J.  Huff  is  the  pastor 
full  time.  Contributes  to  Home  and  Foreign  Missions.  W. 
D.  Rogers  is  the  clerk. 

Potomac. 

Present  membership,  125;  value  of  property,  $3,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  103. 

Prairie  Chapel  (Rossville). 

Oro-anized  1865,  by  Rolla  M.  Martin:  present  member- 
ship, 74;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 110. 


412         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

This  chapel  is  five  miles  west  of  Rossville.  A  few  scat- 
tered neighbors  were  gathered  together  by  Minister  Martin  at 
old  Blue  Grass.  They  soon  moved  their  place  of  meeting 
to  the  home  of  Simon  Armentrout,  thence  to  the  Bratton 
Schoolhouse  till  1866,  when  the  present  building  was  bought 
of  the  United  Brethren  and  moved  to  the  present  site.  It 
has  been  repaired  several  times  and  is  now  a  creditable 
house. 

The  congregation  has  grown  through  trials  and  struggles 
to  efficiency. 

Minister  Martin  served  the  church  twenty  years.  C.  F. 
Gaumer  has  served  the  church  for  the  past  eight  years. 
There  is  a  good  board  of  thirteen  officers.  Charles  Villiars 
is  the  clerk. 

Ridge  Farm. 

Organized  1899,  by  C.  E.  Evans;  present  membership, 
50;  value  of  property,  $3,000;  Bible  school  began  1899; 
present  enrollment,  48. 

P.  F.  York  is  the  pastor  of  this  church.  It  contributes 
to  missions,  and  is  striving  to  attain  unto  the  best  things  in 
Christian  service. 

There  is  a  good  board  of  six  officers.  L.  C.  Osborne  is 
the  clerk. 

Rossville. 

Organized  1894,  by  S.  R.  Creighton ;  present  membership, 
264;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $12,000;  Bible 
school  began  1894;  present  enrollment,  154. 

Sidell. 

Organized  1895,  by  S.  H.  Creighton;  present  member- 
ship, 125;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $7,500; 
Bible  school  began  1895 ;  present  enrollment,  138. 

For  a  few  years,  meetings  were  held  in  the  Maple  Grove 
Schoolhouse,  a  few  miles  southwest  of  Sidell.  These  led  to 
the  building  of  a  union  chapel  in  the  north  end  of  Edgar 
County  in  1882.    In  1884,  Evangelist  W.  F.  Black  conducted 


CHURCHES  413 

a  meeting  of  days  there,  when  most  of  the  congregation 
became  Christians  only.  These  he  then  organized  into  the 
Antioch  Christian  Church.  In  about  ten  years  this  congre- 
gation was  absorbed  by  others,  and  the  chapel  was  sold  and 
turned  into  a  barn. 

Evangelist  Creighton  held  a  meeting  in  Sidell  in  the 
Baptist  chapel  in  1895  and  organized  a  church  of  Christ  of 
about  one  hundred  members.  Among  them  were  members 
from  Antioch,  a  goodly  number  of  Baptists  and  converts  to 
the  Lord. 

The  church  has  given  Clay  F.  Gaumer  to  the  Christian 
ministry  and  Mrs.  Marie  Jackson  McCoy  to  the  mission  field 

^     •'  ^     *  Union  (Danville). 

Organized  1838,  by  Jacob  Swisher;  present  membership, 
60;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1850; 
present  enrollment,  50. 

The  location  is  seven  miles  northwest  of  Danville.  This 
congregation  has  been  served  by  all  the  first  and  second  gen- 
eration of  Vermilion  County  preachers,  among  them  Robert 
Sears,  H.  H.  Gunn,  W.  P.  Shockey,  Wm.  Mapes,  R.  M.  and 
J.  L.  Martin,  J.  H.  Broom,  Abner  Hubbard  and  J.  H. 
Mavity. 

It  has  given  the  following  men  to  the  Christian  ministry: 
Wm.  Pilkington,  J.  H.  Martin,  J.  J.  Cosat,  T.  L.  Stipp,  O. 
B.  Gravat  and  P.  L.  Cunningham. 

The  church  was  divided  through  the  preaching  of  ultra- 
conservatives.  These  damages  have  been  measurably  repaired 
by  the  ministry  of  J.  J.  Cosat,  who  is  serving  the  congregation 
for  the  twenty-fifth  year  as  its  pastor.  They  maintain  a  good 
Bible  school  and  C.  E. 

Bertha  White,  R.  2,  is  the  clerk. 

Walnut  Corners  (Danville). 

Organized  1843,  by  H.  H.  Gunn ;  present  membership, 
98;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1875; 
present  enrollment,  72. 


414         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

In  the  early  forties  the  Stony  Creek  Church  was  consti- 
tuted some  ten  miles  northeast  of  Danville.  It  continued  in 
a  prosperous  condition  till  1856,  when  the  new  railroad 
started  a  town  three  and  a  half  miles  away,  called  State 
Line,  Ind.  Then  most  of  the  congregation  moved  into  a  new 
brick  building  in  that  town.  However,  a  cemetery  had  grown 
near  the  old  church.  For  the  convenience  of  funeral  occa- 
sions, the  house  was  remodeled  and  repaired.  After  some 
years  a  Bible  school  was  formed  for  the  neighborhood,  and 
from  this  school  grew  the  Walnut  Corners  Church.  The 
school  is  front  rank  and  there  is  a  good  C.  E. 

J.  C.  Myers,  J.  J.  Cosat,  W.  H.  Kerr  and  others  have 
served  the  church.  John  Smith  and  Irvine  Cunningham  are 
the  elders. 

Westville. 

Organized  1866,  by  R.  M.  Martin ;  present  membership, 
40;  value  of  property,  $1,600;  Bible  school  began  1907. 

This  church  was  first  organized  on  the  site  of  Westville. 
It  grew  to  a  membership  of  four  hundred  and  exercised  a 
wide  influence  for  good  in  the  surrounding  community. 
Then  a  strong  ultra-conservative  preacher  was  engaged  to 
serve  the  congregation.  Under  his  teaching,  in  six  years  it 
sickened  and  died,  and  its  members  were  scattered  to  the 
four  winds. 

In  1907,  Min.  E.  M.  Norton  gathered  up  and  reorganized 
the  surviving  remnants.  A  building  formerly  used  by  the 
Presbyterians  was  bought.  It  was  much  damaged  by  a 
stroke  of  lightning  in  1912,  and  the  title  is  in  litigation.  So 
a  union  school  is  held  in  the  Congregational  chapel.  A.  C. 
Ellsworth  and  C.  M.  Snooks  are  the  elders. 

Willow  Springs  (Grape  Creek). 

Organized  1870,  by  J.  H.  Martin ;  present  membership, 
40;  value  of  property, '$1,000;  Bible  school  began  1870; 
present  enrollment,  50. 

It  is  located  one  mile  southeast  of   Grape  Creek.     The 


CHURCHES  415 

spiritual  life  is  feeble.     Samuel  Jumps  and  John  Wilson  are 
the  elders. 

WABASH    COUNTY. 

Adam's  Corners  (Allendale). 

Organized  1851,  by  William  Courter ;  present  member- 
ship, 75;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 33, 

At  a  meeting  the  fifth  Lord's  Day  in  June,  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Allen  R.  Jackman,  it  was  decided  that,  for  the  con- 
venience of  that  part  of  the  Barney's  Prairie  Church  living 
in  that  neighborhood,  a  congregation  be  established  at 
Adam's  Corners.  Soon  afterward  a  union  chapel  was  built. 
This  was  burned.  Then  the  Christian  congregation  built  a 
house  of  their  own. 

Mr.  Courter  served  both  as  minister  and  elder.  Under 
his  untiring  efforts  the  church  grew  to  be  strong  and  influ- 
ential. It  is  still  one  of  the  best  country  congregations  in 
the  county.  Many  of  its  members  are  leading  citizens.  Geo. 
W.  Morrell  preached  here  three  years  with  fine  results. 

A  flourishing  Bible  school  and  the  regular  worship  are 
well  attended. 

Allendale. 

Organized  1891 ;  present  membership,  117;  value  of  prop- 
erty, including  parsonage,  $3,700;  Bible  school  began  1891; 
present  enrollment,  143. 

There  were  forty  charter  members.  The  chapel  was  built 
the  same  year. 

There  is  an  efficient  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  and  Bible  school,  of 
which  F.  S.  Gray  has  been  superintendent  since  the  church 
was  started,  except  three  years.     John  Walser  is  clerk. 

Antioch  (Keensburg). 

Organized  1886,  by  Loean  Gillaspie ;  present  membership, 
70;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible  school  began  1886; 
present  enrollment,  50. 

This  congregation  is  thirteen    miles    southwest    of    Mt 


416  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Carmel.  There  were  fifteen  charter  members.  James  H. 
Dinnel  and  A.  B.  Denham  were  chosen  elders,  and  W.  B. 
Stewart,  deacon. 

The  first  chapel  was  built  as  a  union  house  in  1870,  but 
in  1886  the  legal  title  passed  to  the  Christian  congregation. 

A.  B.  Denham,  an  ef^cient  elder  for  twenty-six  years,  was 
recently  lost  by  removal.     James  Deputy  is  clerk. 

Barney's  Prairie    (Allendale). 

Organized  1819,  by  James  Pool ;  present  membership, 
140;  value  of  property,  $1,350;  Bible  school  began  1860; 
present  enrollment,  110. 

William  Barney,  with  his  family,  left  the  banks  of  the 
Genesee  River,  in  New  York,  in  1808.  They  came  by  raft 
down  the  Ohio  River  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash.  There 
the  raft  was  sold  and  a  keel-boat  bought.  In  this  they 
pushed  upstream  to  Ramsey's  Rapids,  afterward  the  site  of 
Bedell's  Mill.  This  was  eight  miles  up-river  from  the  site 
of  Mt.  Carmel.  His  family  consisted  of  Mr.  Barney,  his 
wife  and  his  twelve  children  and  three  sons-in-law.  (See 
Chap.  II.)  The  male  members  of  the  family  struck  out 
through  the  forest  to  find  a  place  on  which  to  build  their 
cabins.  They  reached  a  beautiful  stretch  of  land,  covered 
with  grass  ten  feet  high,  and  afterward  known  as  Barney's 
Prairie.  Shortly  afterward  came  Mr.  Barney's  three  sons- 
in-law.  They  were  Ranson  Higgins,  Philo  Ingram  and  Wil- 
liam Aldridge. 

Other  settlers  were  then  in  that  section  and  still  others 
came  afterward.  Among  these  were  Seth  Card  and  Gervaise 
Hazelton.  These  two  men  located  Palmyra,  two  and  a  half 
miles  north  of  the  site  of  Mt.  Carmel,  near  the  river  Wabash, 
Apr.  22,  1815.  But  Palmyra  was  abandoned  in  1821  because 
of  its  unhealthiness.  The  Indians  had  so  told  the  settlers, 
and  it  proved  true. 

This  section  was  then  in  Edwards  County,  which  was 
created  by  an  act  of  the  Territorial  legislative  body  in  1814, 
and  which  reached  north  to  the  Canadian  line. 


CHURCHES  417 

Joseph  Wood  came  to  the  settlement  about  1815.  Ira 
Keen  and  others  came  from  Ohio,  New  York,  Virginia  and 
Kentucky — all  by  the  rivers. 

Fort  Barney  was  built  in  1811.  It  was  northwest  of  Pal- 
myra. Fort  Wood  was  southwest  and  Fort  Compton  north- 
east of  Palmyra.  These  places  were  from  five  to  eight  miles 
apart.  These  forts  were  built  by  placing  large  poles  firmly 
in  the  ground,  reaching  up  about  twelve  feet,  the  top  ends 
hewed  off  to  sharp  points.  Early  settlements  were  made 
round  about  these  forts  for  protection,  since  the  Indians  had 
murdered  several   families  near  Fort  Compton. 

On  a  woodland  spot,  midway  between  the  forts,  a  meet- 
ing assembled  on  July  17,  1819,  and  then  and  there  organ- 
ized the  Barney's  Prairie  Christian  Church.  Seth  Gard  was 
elected  elder;  Joseph  Wood,  deacon,  and  Jarvis  Fordice, 
clerk.  The  number  of  charter  members  is  not  known,  but 
they  had  mostly  come  from  the  East  and  were  the  most 
intelligent  and  influential  people  in  the  settlement.  (See 
James  Pool,  Seth  Gard  and  Joseph  Wood  in  biographies.) 
Some  of  these  people  had  been  members  of  the  Christian 
Denomination,  known  at  that  time  as  "New  Lights."  But 
when  they  formed  the  Barney's  Prairie  Church,  they  re- 
nounced the  name  *'New  Light"  and  decided  to  be  known 
simply  as  Christians.  This  is  the  written  record,  which  is 
confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  D.  H.  Wood — now  near 
seventy  years  of  age — a  grandson  of  Joseph  Wood,  the  first 
deacon.  He  has  been  a  member  of  this  church  for  fifty 
years,  and  through  all  these  years  had  heard  that  this  church 
started  on  apostolic  ground. 

The  congregation  met  later  near  Fort  Barney,  in  a  grove 
near  the  prairie.  Here  a  stand  was  built  and  surrounded  by 
seats  made  of  split  logs,  smoothed  on  the  flat  sides.  They 
were  more  substantial  than  comfortable.  Public  worship  was 
held  here  when  the  weather  permitted ;  otherwise,  in  dwell- 
ings or  barns.  In  1843  a  chapel  was  built.  This  has  been 
repaired  and  refurnished  and  is  still  in  use. 

This  was  the  first  church  of  Christ  in  Illinois. 

14 


418         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

Bellmoiif. 

Organized  1896,  by  Erastus  Lathrop;  present  member- 
ship, 110;  value  of  property,  $800;  Bible  school  began  1876; 
present  enrollment,  75. 

The  first  members  were  Dr.  N.  Briston  and  wife,  Christ 
Shoenert  and  wife,  John  J.  Sloan,  A.  W.  French  and  wife, 
Wm.  H.  Davis,  A.  P.  Manley,  John  G.  McClary  and  wife, 
Mariah  E.  Knowles,  Eliza  J.  Rigg,  Nancy  Jane  Carter, 
Lafayette  Read,  Alice  Bristow,  Clara  Briston,  Lydia  E. 
Kimbel,  T.  H.  Burton,  Ellen  Imes,  Nancy  J.  Parmenter, 
Elizabeth  Sloan,  Thompson  Davis  and  Elizabeth  M.  McClary. 
Messrs.  Briston,  McClary  and  Baird  were  chosen  elders,  and 
Burton  and  French,  deacons.  The  organization  was  made  in 
the  office  of  Dr.  E.  T.  McClane,  where  the  meetings  for 
public  worship  were  held  till  1879,  when  the  vSilvan  M.  E. 
meeting-house,  that  stood  five  miles  north  of  the  village,  was 
bought.  As  it  was  a  very  strong  building,  it  was  torn  down, 
moved  to  town  and  rebuilt.  This  was  done  mainly  by  the 
volunteered  labor  of  the  members.  Since  then  it  has  been 
much  improved. 

The  church  has  been  fruitful  of  good.     D.  M.  Durham 

is  the  pastor.  ^^        , 

Keensburg. 

Organized    1819,   by   its    members ;   present    membership, 
180;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  100. 
The  original  record  reads  as  follows: 

At  a  meeting  held  at  Brother  Daniel  Keen's  on  Saturday  before 
the  fifth  Sabbath  in  August,  1819,  a  church  of  Christ  was  constituted 
consisting  of  seven  members :  1 — Thomas  Thompson :  2 — Nancy 
Thompson  :  3 — Daniel  Keen  :  A — Polly  Keen  :  5 — William  Arnold :  6 — 
Ely  Reed:  7 — Dennis  Sayles. 

The  record  shows  that  John  Auldridge  was  chosen  as  the 
first  elder,  and  Daniel  Keen,  the  first  deacon;  that  meetings 
were  held  monthly  and  that  additions  were  made  to  the 
church  at  these  meetings,  and  also  that  several  were  dropped 
from  the  record  for  various  reasons.  In  1825  the  church 
reported  twenty-eight  members  in  good  standing. 


CHURCHES  419 

This  was  the  Coffee  Creek  Church,  located  one-half  mile 
east  of  the  site  of  Keensburg.  The  place  of  meetings  was 
changed  to  the  village  in  1882. 

This  congregation  has  from  its  beginning,  in  1819,  always 
been  a  church  of  Christ;  it  was  never  of  the  Christian 
Denomination.  Such  is  the  united  testimony  of  the  oldest 
residents  of  the  community,  the  original  records  of  the  con- 
gregation and  the  history  of  Wabash  County.  It  was,  there- 
fore, only  six  weeks  younger  than  the  Barney's  Prairie 
Church. 

Lancaster   (Mt.   Carmel). 

Organized  1842,  by  Maurice  R.  Trimble;  present  mem- 
bership, 95;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 85. 

Lancaster  was  formerly  known  as  Round  Prairie.  In  the 
life  of  Elijah  Goodwin  (pp.  183-4)  the  following  lines 
appear : 

During  this  year  [1842]  a  Methodist  preacher  named  Dickens 
made  an  appointment  on  Round  Prairie  to  preach  on  baptism.  There 
being  no  meeting-house  in  the  settlement,  one  of  our  brethren  opened 
his  large  barn  for  the  occasion.  Thci  preacher  came  and  put  in  two 
days  preaching  on  the  subject.  The  brethren  sent  me  word  that  I 
must  come  and  give  them  a  two  days'  meeting  and  preach  on  the  same 
subject.  This  I  could  not  do,  but  sent  them  an  appointment,  promising^ 
to  give  them  two  days'  preaching  in  one.  I  went  and  preached  in  the 
same  barn  five  hours  without  leaving  the  stand.  I  spoke  on  the  sub- 
ject, action  and  design  of  baptism.  Preached  two  hours  and  thirty 
minutes  and  gave  an  intermission  of  fifteen  minutes.  Then  I  resumed 
the  subject  and  preached  two  hours  and  thirty  minutes  more — all 
before  leaving  the  stand.  The  large  barn  was  full  of  people  and  a 
great  multitude  stood  outside  before  a  larga  door  the  whole  time, 
giving  the  most  earnest  attention. 

Elijah  and  Moses  Goodwin,  H.  A.  Hayward,  James  Pool, 
Joseph  Ballard,  and  probably  others,  had  preached  the 
apostolic  gospel  in  this  community  previous  to  Elijah  Good- 
win's five-hour  sermon.     Alfred  Flower  came  later. 

This  church  organized  the  third  Lord's  Day  in  October 
and  had  the  following  charter  members:  William  Ridgeley 


420         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

and  Robert  Johnson,  elders ;  Horace  A.  Woodward  and  John 
Higgins,  deacons,  with  Wm.  Clark,  Sophia  Woodward, 
Hiram  and  Polly  Couch,  Lydia  McMillen,  Martha  Jones, 
Sarah  Russell,  Nancy  and  Elizabeth  Lewis,  Maria  Courter, 
Sarah  Pryant,  Warren  and  Tamar  Winders. 

Mr.  Woodward,  one  of  the  first  deacons,  was  a  famous 
showman  in  his  early  life  and  had  built  the  large  barn 
(where  big  meetings  assembled),  in  which  to  keep  the  animals 
of  his  menagerie  during  the  winters.  He  died  in  Grayville 
in  1878.  The  organization  of  the  church  is  still  celebrated 
by  an  annual  meeting  the  third  Sunday  in  October.  Public 
worship,  a  basket  dinner  and  a  home-coming  of  former 
residents,  make  it  a  delightful  occasion.  Min.  W.  R.  Couch 
has  written  these  words:  "The  most,  perhaps  all,  of  the 
charter  members  of  the  Lancaster  Church  were  converted 
imder  the  preaching  of  Elijah  and  Moses  Goodwin  and 
Maurice  R.  Trimble  at  the  old  stand  on  Barney's  Prairie." 
The  last  of  them  to  go  home  to  God  was  Elder  John  Hig- 
gins, of  blessed  memory,  who  died  in  1902. 

The  church  has  given  to  the  ministry  James  McMillen 
and  James  E.  Moyer. 

This  is  now  a  weak  church.  L  G.  Williams  is  the  min- 
ister in  charge. 

Lick  Prairie  (Mt.  Carmel). 

Organized  1830,  by  Joseph  Wasson ;  present  membership, 
125;  value  of  property,  $600;  Bible-school  enrollment,  45. 

This  church  is  located  twelve  miles  west  of  Mt.  Carmel. 
Among  the  charter  members  there  were  Adam,  Samuel,  John 
and  Andrew  Baird ;  Eli  Moore,  Thomas  and  William  Hill, 
John  Steward,  Samuel  and  Eban  Putnam,  and  all  their  wives 
severally.  This  was  organized  as  a  church  of  the  Christian 
Denomination,  but  in  1853,  when  another  chapel  was  built, 
it  became  a  part  of  the  Restoration  movement.  Elijah  and 
Moses  Goodwin  did  efficient  service  at  this  place. 

The  first  house  of  worship  was  of  logs,  built  in  1831. 
This  was  used  for  fourteen  years.    Then  another  log  house 


CHURCHES  421 

was  built  one  mile  south  of  the  present  site.  By  1853  the 
congregation  had  outgrown  the  building.  Then  a  union 
chapel  was  built,  the  Universalists  using  it  one-fourth  of  the 
time.  Elements  so  conflicting  were  not  peaceable.  After 
twenty-eight  years  of  confusion,  the  old  house,  being  unfit 
for  use,  was  torn  down.  In  1881  a  neat  frame  chapel  was 
built  and  called  the  Garfield  Memorial  Church. 

Maud  (Mt.  Carmel). 

Organized  1896,  by  Geo.  W.  Morrell;  present  member- 
ship, 90;  value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible  school  began  1896. 

This  church  is  located  about  five  miles  west  of  Mt.  Car- 
mel. It  was  the  first  general  result  of  a  meeting  held  in  the 
schoolhouse  there  by  Minister  Morrell.  The  charter  mem- 
bers were  James,  Winifred  and  Lula  Bell;  John  and  Vashti 
Williams;  Henry  Obold  and  wife;  J.  R.,  Jr.,  Virginia,  Jane 
and  Flora  V.  Brines;  David  P.  Wright,  Harris  Roll  and 
wife,  David  K.  and  Rosaline  Seiler,  David  H.  and  Susan 
Brown,  Hannah  Aborn,  Anna  Fearheiley,  Mary  Read, 
Samantha  Van  Senden,  Mary  E.  Halbig,  Irene  Bell,  Rose 
Getz  and  Cassie  Shellhorn. 

Mrs.  H.  Aborn  and  husband  gave  one  acre  of  land  and 
the  chapel  was  built  thereon  in  1896. 

This  church  is  in  a  farming  community  and  is  sustained 
v/holly  by  farmers.  Since  1901  they  have  the  ''Annual  May 
Meeting."  Meetings  for  worship  are  held  forenoon,  after- 
noon and  evening,  a  free  basket  dinner  intervening.  In  the 
afternoon  the  anniversary  sermon  is  preached  and  the  church 
roll  is  called.  There  are  two  elders  and  four  deacons.  D. 
M.  Durham  is  now  pastor. 

Mt.  Carmel. 

Organized  1862,  by  D.  D.  Miller;  present  membership, 
760;  value  of  property,  $15,000;  Bible  school  began  1862; 
present  enrollment,  335. 

This  church  had  thirty-three  charter  members.  Only  one 
of  them — Maria  L.  Filton — is  left  in  the  community.     The 


422  HISTORY    OF  THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

first  officers  were,  elders,  John  A.  Morgan  and  Charles  Red- 
man ;  the  deacons,  Amos  Walter  and  Daniel  Titus. 

The  first  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1864,  which  was 
enlarged  and  remodeled  in  1893.  The  first  meetings  were 
held  in  the  courthouse  and  were  violently  opposed  by  relig- 
ious bodies  then  established  in  the  city.  But  it  has  grown 
to  be  strong  and  representative.  All  departments  of  Chris- 
tian growth  and  service  are  aggressive. 

Besides  Mr.  Miller,  who  worked  under  the  auspices  of 
the  State  Missionary  Society,  the  following  evangelists  held 
meetings  here:  Franklin,  Black,  Clements,  Ingram,  Coombs, 
Courter,  Pearl,  Updike,  Martin,  Scoville,  Thompson  and 
Wilhite. 

W.  W.  Weedon  is  the  pastor. 

WARREN    COUNTY. 

Alexis. 

Organized  1897,  by  J.  C.  Alsup;  present  membership,  60; 
value  of  property,  $3,000. 

Berzi'ick. 

Organized  1902,  by  D.  E.  Hughes;  present  member- 
ship, 58.  ^ 

^'  Cameron. 

Organized  1831 ;  present  membership,  290;  value  of  prop- 
erty, including  parsonage,  $6,500;  Bible-school  enrollment, 
144. 

This  church,  with  its  antecedents,  is  one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  interesting  in  the  State.  Its  first  name  was  Cold- 
brook,  because  a  cold  spring  there  formed  a  cold  brook.  The 
location  was  one  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  the  site  of 
Cameron.  It  was  on  the  old  trail  leading  from  Peoria  to 
Oquaka  and  about  midway  between  the  sites  of  Galesburg 
and  Monmouth.  A  little  town  grew  up  around  the  Cold- 
brook  Church  that  was  called  Savana.  With  the  building  of 
the  railroad  in  1854-55  the  place  and  name  of  the  church 
were  changed  and  the  village  faded  away. 


CHURCHES  423 

The  original  record-book  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the 
Cameron  Church,  and  from  it  the  following  facts  are 
gleaned : 

"On  the  30th  day  of  April,  1831,  this  church  was  consti- 
tuted upon  the  belief  that  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments  are  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice  and  suf- 
ficient for  the  government  of  the  church."  The  names  of 
the  seventeen  persons  who  signed  this  covenant  were  these: 
William  M.,  EHzabeth,  EHjah,  Sr.,  Margaret,  Sr.,  Elijah, 
Jr.,  Margaret,  Jr.,  Davidson ;  Henry  E.,  Elizabeth  and  John 
G.  Haley;  John  E.  and  Frances  Murphy;  Richard  and  Nancy 
Ragland,  and  William,  Sarah,  Josiah  and  Julia  \\^hitman. 
Three  of  these  men  were  preachers — William  Whitman, 
John  E.  Murphy  and  Elijah  Davidson — and  as  many  as 
eight  of  them  were  good  public  speakers.  Squire  Whitman, 
a  nephew  of  William  and  Josiah  Whitman,  with  his  wife 
and  sixteen  other  members  of  this  church,  went  to  Oregon 
in  1850  by  the  old  caravan  route,  and  there  helped  to  found 
the  town  of  Monmouth  and  to  plant  the  college  there. 

The  Coldbrook  congregation  called  itself  ''the  Church  of 
Christ  on  Cedar  Fork  of  Henderson  River,"  Warren  County. 
The  record-book  says :  ''Second  Saturday  in  Feb.,  1832. 
Agreed  to  send  four  dollars  by  Elijah  Davidson,  Jr.,  to  St. 
Lewis  to  purchase  a  record-book  for  the  church  and  one 
gallon  of  wine. 

"Second  Saturday,  Aug.,  1833.  Agreed  to  meet  on  every 
Sabbath  for  worship." 

For  two  years  the  record-book  was  made  to  do  duty  for 
other  than  church  business.  For  example,  on  the  first  page 
there  is  a  "Receipt  for  Felon,"  apparently  from  the  pen  of 
Henry  Haley.  It  reads:  "Bathe  the  part  affected  in  ashes 
and  water,  take  the  yolk  of  an  egg,  six  drops  of  the  spirits 
of  turpentine  and  a  few  beet  leaves  cut  fine,  a  small  quantity 
of  hard  soap,  and  one  teaspoonful  of  snuff  or  fine  tobacco, 
then  add  one  teaspoonful  of  burnt  salt  and  one  of  Indian 
meal  and  apply  to  the  part  affected."  The  records  of  per- 
sonal business  transactions  also  appear.     But  in  June,  1834, 


424  HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

"the  church  appointed  four  brethren  to  transcribe  the  church 
book,  leaving  out  all  that  the  church  now  believes  unneces- 
sarily committed  to  record." 

The  second  Saturday  in  June,  1832,  the  church  debated 
the  question,  "What  encouragement  should  be  granted  young 
gifts  by  the  church?"  It  was  decided  that  it  was  the  duty  of 
every  individual  member  to  teach  the  Scriptures  to  the  best 
of  his  ability,  and  those  having  the  ability  to  teach  publicly 
should  be  given  letters  of  recommendation  by  the  church. 

In  December,  1834,  some  parties  wished  to  be  married, 
so  a  few  members  of  the  church  met  on  the  11th  of  that 
month  and  "appointed  Alex.  Reynolds  to  solemnize  the 
right."  But  the  following  month  the  church  took  time  by 
the  forelock  for  the  matrimonial  business  and  authorized 
Joseph  and  Isaac  Murphy,  in  addition  to  Elijah  Davidson 
and  William  Whitman,  who  had  been  previously  appointed, 
"to  solemnize  the  right  of  matrimony."  In  December,  1838, 
the  church  granted  one,  J.  R.  Melton,  this  right,  but  the  fol- 
lowing ]\Iarch  they  examined  his  case,  found  him  to  be  an 
impostor  and  excluded  him  from  the  church. 

In  May,  1834,  the  congregation  received  by  immersion 
"Bro."  Richard,  a  colored  man ;  in  1838,  Sister  Polly,  a  col- 
ored woman,  and  in  1843  by  commendation  Sister  Susan 
Richardson,  a  colored  woman. 

This  church  grew  and  prospered.  It  had  the  word,  the 
spirit  and  the  blessings  of  the  Lord.  In  its  earlier  years  it  was 
served  by  Mins.  Alexander  Davidson,  Levy  Hatchett.  Pat- 
rick H.  Murphy,  J.  W.  Butler,  J.  C.  Reynolds,  L.  S.  Wal- 
lace, George  W.  Lucy,  S.  T.  Shelton  and  Alexander  John- 
son, who  were  all  farmers. 

Two  deacons  were  chosen  in  1833,  but  not  till  1850  was 
an  elder  elected  in  the  person  of  Samuel  Shelton.  In  1839 
three  swarms  went  out  from  the  fruitful  hive.  The  second 
Sunday  in  February  the  church  granted  permission  to  organ- 
ize a  congregation  "across  the  creek."  This  became  the 
Talbot  Creek  Church.  The  last  Lord's  Day  in  March, 
twenty-two  persons  received  letters  who  became  the  nucleus 


CHURCHES  425 

of  the  Monmouth  Church.  June  26  there  were  twenty-six 
persons  who  received  letters  and  formed  the  Meredian 
Church. 

These  Christians  aimed  to  be  strictly  apostolic,  but  only 
with  the  passing  years  did  they  come  to  see  some  minor 
matters  clearly.  In  the  late  thirties  Elijah  Goodwin,  of 
Indiana,  visited  the  congregation  and  preached  one  Lord's 
Day  morning.  Then  a  leading  brother,  presiding  at  the 
table,  proceeded  to  break  the  loaf  into  small  pieces  con- 
venient for  each  to  take  one.  Whereupon,  Mr.  Goodwin 
spoke  aloud:  "Don't,  brother.  Let  the  disciples  break  the 
bread."  The  effect  was  like  a  thunderbolt  from  a  clear  sky. 
Silence  brooded  for  a  minute.  Then  the  people  saw,  and 
from  that  time  the  custom  was  changed.  On  one  Sunday 
morning  the  congregation  met  for  worship,  but  the  preacher 
failed  to  come,  so  a  social  meeting  was  held.  During  the 
singing  of  the  closing  hymn,  a  stranger,  who  was  passing 
through  to  another  State,  went  forward  to  accept  Jesus  as 
his  Saviour.  The  leaders  were  puzzled ;  so  they  sent  the 
stranger  back  to  his  seat  in  the  chapel,  extended  the  cus- 
tomary invitation  and  announced  the  invitation  hymn.  Then 
the  earnest  traveler  was  received  according  to  their  custom  and 
went  on  his  way  rejoicing.    The  brethren  had  to  be  "regular." 

When  Mr.  Campbell  preached  in  the  State  before  rail- 
ways were  built,  he  was  often  conveyed  from  place  to  place 
by  friends.  One  of  these  called  his  attention  to  the  great 
fertility  of  the  soil  and  the  wealth  that  would  be  produced 
from  it.  He  replied :  "Yes,  but  how  hard  it  will  be  for  the 
people  to  live  as  Christians."  Naturally,  there  was  a  wide- 
spread wish  to  see  him  and  hear  him  preach.  A  crowd  of 
people  waited  to  welcome  him.  In  it  was  a  man  of  bucolic 
habits  who,  as  the  great  preacher  approached,  said  to  his 
wife:  "Arise,  Peggy,  and  behold  him  with  your  natural 
eyes." 

In  1860  the  old  chapel  was  moved  from  Coldbrook  to 
Cameron.  In  1890  a  new  house  was  built.  Since  then  Clark 
H.  Marsh  was  given  to  the  ministry. 


426  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Coldbrook  No.  2  (Cameron). 

Organized  1839;  present  membership,  200;  value  of  prop- 
erty, including  parsonage,  $4,200;  Bible-school  enrollment, 
114. 

The  Talbot  Creek  Church  was  formed  in  the  northeast 
corner  of  Monmouth  Township  at  the  home  of  William 
Hopper,  March  3,  of  forty-three  members,  most  of  whom 
were  of  the  mother  congregation  and  five  miles  northeast  of 
it.  Some  of  the  ministers  who  resided  near  the  Talbot 
Creek  congregation  and  were  members  of  it  were  S.  L.  and 
Thomas  Wallace,  John  E.  and  Joseph  E.  Murphy  and  F.  M. 
Bruner.  In  1845  the  congregation  built  a  small  frame 
chapel.  In  1860  a  more  commodious  house  was  built  two 
miles  east  and  one  mile  south  of  the  former  place,  which  is 
four  miles  north  of  Cameron.  Here  a  modern  frame  build- 
ing was  erected  in  1895.  The  name  Talbot  Creek  gave  place 
to  Coldbrook.  This  is  three  miles  nearly  north  of  the  first 
place  of  this  name.  It  is  a  living  and  flourishing  country 
congregation. 

Gerlaw. 

Organized  1859;  present  membership,  100;  value  of  prop- 
erty, including  parsonage,  $8,000;  Bible-school  enrollment, 
109. 

In  1859  a  number  of  members  from  the  Talbot  Creek 
Church  organized  at  Mauch's  Grove,  a  few  miles  north. 
When  the  railway  was  built  and  the  town  started,  the  meet- 
ing-place was  changed  to  Gerlaw.  At  a  critical  time  in  this 
congregation,  Min.  J.  W.  Kelsey  rendered  very  helpful 
service. 

Monmouth. 

Organized  1839;  present  membership,  930;  value  of  prop- 
erty,  $30,000;    Bible-school   enrollment,   247. 

This  congregation  was  a  child  of  the  Coldbrook  Church. 
In  March  of  this  year  twenty-two  persons  received  letters 
and  these  became  the  charter  members  of   the   Monmouth 


CHURCHES  427 

Church.  This  city  is  the  center  of  United  Presbyterianism 
ill  Illinois.  The  Christian  Church  has  grown  slowly  but 
steadily  to  influence.  Pastor  D.  E.  Hughes  has  served  it 
well  for  more  than  a  decade. 

Rosevillc. 

Present  membership,  160;  value  of  property,  including 
parsonage,  $5,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  73. 

Yoiingstoivn. 

Present  membership,  230;  value  of  property,  $2,500; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  80. 

WASHINGTON  COUNTY. 

Ashley. 

Organized  1871,  by  John  A.  Williams;  present  member- 
ship, 90;  value  of  property,  $800;  no  Bible  school. 

Mr.  Williams  conducted  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  Bap- 
tist chapel,  but  formed  the  Christian  congregation  in  the 
residence  of  Robert  Coffey.  The  charter  members  were  G. 
W.  Cammack  and  wife,  Thomas  Graves,  Byron  Marrow  and 
wife,  Wallace  Coffey  and  wife.  Drew  Foster  and  wife, 
Mollie  Hammond  and  I.  J.  Reeder  and  wife.  For  years  the 
church  did  good  service,  but  is  now  feeble  in  every  way. 

It  gave  F.  M.  Morgan  and  one  other  to  the  ministry. 

This  was  the  early  Christian  home  of  J.  F.  Winters,  who 
has  been  for  many  years  one  of  the  most  helpful  members 
of  the  First  Church  in  Lincoln,  Neb. 

WAYNE    COUNTY. 

Baily. 

Organized  1867,  by  Jas.  A.  Chowning;  present  member- 
ship, 65;  value  of  property,  $1,000. 

For  eighteen  years  this  congregation  met  for  worship  in 
residences,  groves  and  schoolhouses.  In  1885  a  chapel  was 
built  on  the  farm  of  Daniel  Logan. 


428         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

To  the  ministry  this  little  congregation  has  given  Daniel 
Logan,  Samuel  and  Charles  L.  Wood.  The  latter  is 
reported  as  a  strong  and  effective  preacher  and  a  member 
now   (1913)  of  the  State  Legislature. 

Beech  Bluff  (Fairfield). 

Organized  1912,  by  Wylie  H.  Keen;  present  member- 
ship, 26;  no  church  property;  Bible-school  enrollment,  70. 

This  congregation,  located  about  six  miles  southeast  of 
Fairfield,  is  one  of  its  children. 

Black  Oak  (Fairfield). 

Organized  1909;  no  church  building. 

This  is  a  mission  point  of  the  Fairfield  Church.  It  is 
six  miles  east  and  north  of  there.  It  was  organized  with 
forty-five  members  and  did  well  for  several  years.  Then  a 
traveling  preacher  of  the  ultra-conservatives  came  in  and 
measurably  crippled  its  usefulness. 

Boyleston. 

Organized  1890;  value  of  property,  $800. 

This  is  a  child  of  the  Fairfield  Church,  six  miles  west. 
In  this  small  village  five  denominations  sought  to  control. 
The  house  was  completed  in  1892  and  the  little  church  prom- 
ised good  until  an  ultra-conservative  preacher  came  in  and 
divided  them. 

Buckeye  (Jeffersonville). 

Organized  1840;  present  membership,  85;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $500;  Bible  school  began  1869;  present  enrollment,  73. 

In  1839  a  number  of  families  emigrated  from  Columbiana, 
Carroll  and  Stark  Counties,  O.,  and  settled  in  Lamard 
Prairie.  All  of  these  were  Disciples.  Among  them  there 
were  Jesse  Milner,  Isaac  and  Edward  Whitaker,  Jonas  and 
F^entore  Lumm,  John  MoHan,  Martin  Emmons.  Noah 
Towns,  James  McNeeley,  John  Skelton,  James  A.  Maslan 
and  Townsend  Richards.    About  the  same  time  a  few  fami- 


CHURCHES  429 

lies  came  from  Tennessee  and  settled  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood. Among  them  were  the  Butcher  and  Candle  families, 
Edward  Puckett  and  others,  who  were  also  members  of  the 
Christian  Church.  At  that  time  Lamard  Prairie  was  very 
sparsely  settled,  there  being  only  a  few  squatters  there. 
There  was  neither  church  nor  school  near  this  settlement. 
The  first  work  of  these  settlers  was  to  locate  their  homes, 
build  their  houses  and  clear  up  a  little  land  for  cultivation. 
Their  next  work  was  to  build  a  house  that  would  answer  the 
double  purpose  of  school  and  church.  They  called  this  house 
"Buckeye,"  and  it  still  stands  as  a  memorial  of  those  royal 
pioneers.  It  is  not  now  known  all  who  went  into  this 
church,  but  among  them  were  a  number  of  preachers  who 
did  good  work  in  establishing  the  primitive  gospel  in  this  and 
adjoining  counties.  Buckeye  was  indeed  a  glorious  and 
fruitful  mother.     About  thirty  ministers  have  served  here. 

The  chapel  was  built  in  1871. 

In  1850-52  another  large  immigration  came  from  central 
Ohio  and  settled  in  the  western  part  of  Lamard  Township. 
Among  them  were  Isaac  and  George  Brock  and  John  Bunt- 
ing. The  two  last  named  were  preachers  who  helped  much 
in  building  up  the  Christian  Church. 

Cisne. 

Organized  1854,  by  Peter  Stine  and  George  Brock;  pres- 
ent membership,  150;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school 
began   1878;  present  enrollment,  140. 

This  church  was  organized  at  the  Way  Schoolhouse, 
where  it  met  until  1874,  when  it  moved  to  Cisne.  The  house 
was  built  the  previous  year. 

George  Brock,  Peter  and  Stephen  Stine,  J.  C.  Ashley, 
Michael  and  John  Flick  and  others  came  from  Monroe 
County,  O.,  in  the  forties  and  early  fifties  and  settled  near 
the  site  of  Cisne.  They  were  all  Disciples.  They  all  knew 
the  Bible.  Many  of  them  carried  a  copy  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment in  their  pockets  and  were  prepared  to  give  a  "thus 
saith  the  Lord"  for  all  doctrinal  questions.     They  wielded  a 


430  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

molding  influence   in  the  community  and   left  a   rich  legacy 
to  their  posterity. 

Oscar  Eaton  entered  the  ministry  here. 

The  congregation  has  steadfastly  discouraged  all  games 
of  amusement. 

Fairfield. 

Organized  1853,  by  J.  C.  Ashley;  present  membership, 
320;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible  school  began  1878; 
present  enrollment,  225. 

The  beginning  of  the  record  is  this: 

The  names  of  the  members  of  the  Church  of  God  in  Fairfield, 
Wayne  County,  Illinois.  The  following  named  persons  met  and 
organized  upon  the  Word  of  God  alone  as  the  only  Rule  of  Faith  and 
Practice,  constituted  this  the  18th  day  of  October,  A.  D.  1853.  Min- 
ister present.  Elder  J.  C.  Ashley.  Names  of  Disciples:  William 
McNeely  appointed  Deacon ;  Sampson  Wickersham,  George  W.  Tur- 
ney,  J.  IM.  Kenner,  America  Kenner,  Cyntha  i\nn  Edmonson,  Antha 
Wickersham,  Bridget  E.  McNeely,  James  T.  Organ,  James  Austin, 
R.  P.  King,  Parlia  Ann  Ayles,  Virginia  Spooner,  Edwin  A.  Spooner, 
Ermess  Organ,  Charles  Lichtenberger  and  Jane  his  wife. 

Meetings  for  worship  were  held  in  residences,  court- 
house, opera-hall  and  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  until 
1883,  when  a  building  was  erected. 

Harry  Holmes  and  J.  C.  Hall  were  given  to  the  ministry. 

This  church  has  been  exceptionally  wise  in  establishing 
three  congregations  in  its  adjacent  territory.  It  is  still  fruit- 
ful in  all  good  works. 

Frame  (Mill  Shoals). 

Organized  1842 ;  present  membership,  65 ;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  60. 

About  1842  a  few  Disciples  from  Tennessee  settled  in 
and  around  Turney's  Prairie,  about  six  miles  south  of  Fair- 
field, and  formed  a  congregation  in  the  Walker  Schoolhouse. 
This  is  now  known  as  Frame.  Some  of  the  charter  members 
were  William  Boye,  P.  J.  and  Thomas  Puckett,  Joseph  Odell, 
John    Shruseberry    and    Anderson    Walker.      They    toiled 


CHURCHES  431 

together  and  met  great  opposition  in  building  up  primitive 
Christianity  in  their  community. 

Jeffersonville. 

Organized  1861,  by  D.  D.  Miller;  present  membership, 
^2>',  value  of  property,  $1,600;  Bible  school  began  1871; 
present  enrollment,  98. 

The  church  was  organized  in  the  schoolhouse  and  set  in 
order  when  the  house  of  worship  was  occupied  in  1871.  At 
this  time,  Jasper  Branch,  Jesse  Ward  and  John  Morlan 
were  chosen  elders  and  continued  for  many  years  true  serv- 
ants of  the  Lord. 

The  church  has  the  honorable  credit  of  giving  to  the  min- 
istry the  Lappin  brothers — S.  S.,  J.  C.  and  W.  O.  Lappin — 
also  Daniel  Logan,  Jr. 

Organized  1911. 

Middleton  (Keenes). 
Present  membership,  85 ;  Bible-school  enrollment,  100. 

Mount  Erie. 

Organized  1911,  by  O.  M.  Eaton;  present  membership, 
52;  value  of  property,  $1,800;  Bible  school  began  1911 ;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  125. 

This  congregation  was  the  result  of  a  series  of  meetings 
held  by  Evangelist  O.  M.  Eaton.  The  church  building  was 
erected  in   1912.     L   G.   Williams   is   serving  the  church   as 

Oakwood  (Goldengate). 

Organized  1895;  present  membership,  130;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1908;  present  enrollment, 
250. 

A  congregation  was  organized  in  a  barn  in  the  village 
of  Goldengate.  The  ministers  present  and  participating  were 
Z.  A.  Harris,  H.  H.  Peters  and  C.  L.  Wood.  Meetings  for 
public  worship  were  held  in  the  public-school  house,  which 
after  a  time  was  closed  against  the  Disciples.     The  congre- 


432  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

gation,  being  then  without  a  house  in  which  to  meet,  dis- 
banded. In  1908,  Min.  I.  G.  WilHams  held  a  meeting  in  the 
Oakwood  Schoolhouse,  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of  the 
village,  and  in  the  same  year  Min.  W.  H.  Keen  organized 
a  congregation  there.    A  good  chapel  was  built. 

Pleasant  Grove  (Jeffersonville). 

Organized  1854,  by  J.  C.  Ashley;  present  membership, 
200;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1870. 

This  congregation  was  a  swarm  from  the  old  Buckeye 
hive.  It  is  four  miles  west  of  Buckeye  and  was  formed  for 
the  convenience  of  the  members  residing  in  the  community 
and  for  the  purpose  of  extending  the  gospel.  Among  the 
charter  members  there  were  George  and  Isaac  Brock,  Joseph 
Phillips,  Townsend  and  Sylvester  Richards,  George  Sim- 
mons, Robinson  Lappin,  Henry  Henthorn  and  Jesse  Ward. 

This  church  is  apostolic  in  its  faith  and  practice.  From 
the  first  there  have  been  men  in  the  congregation  able  to 
speak  to  edification.  It  has  turned  out  a  good  many  preach- 
ers, but  not  of  the  professional  class.  It  has  preaching  one 
Sunday  in  the  month,  but  the  communion  service  has  not 
been  omitted  ten  times  in  fifty  years,  except  on  unusual  occa- 
sions. Quietly  and  without  discord,  the  work  has  moved 
steadily  on  through  fifty  years.  A  goodly  number  of  the 
men  and  women  who  received  their  Christian  training  in  this 
country  church  are  now  scattered  from  Ohio  to  the  Pacific 
Coast,  but  they  are  in  the  front  ranks  of  useful  service. 

A  plain  frame  chapel,  built  in  1866,  is  still  in  use.  About 
fifty  preachers  have  served  here. 

Pleasant  Hill  (Cisne). 

Organized  1873 ;  present  membership,  65 ;  value  of  prop- 
erty, $1,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  60. 

This  congregation  is  located  four  miles  northeast  of 
Cisne.  There  was  preaching  in  the  community  from  1855 
by  Ministers  Schooley,  Jerry  Butcher  and  Barney  Robertson. 
When  the  chapel  was  built,  the  church  was  organized  with 


CHURCHES  433 

about  twenty  charter  members.     Meets  every  Lord's  Day  for 
worship  with  or  without  a  preacher. 

Rinard. 

Organized  1909,  by  E.  E.  Violett  and  Adam  K.  Adcock ; 
present  membership,  40;  value  of  property,  $1,700;  Bible 
school  began  1909;  present  enrollment,  48. 

Church  building  occupied  in  1910. 

S.  E.  Fugate  has  entered  the  ministry. 

Six  Mile. 

This  is  one  of  the  oldest  churches  in  the  west  side  of  the 
county.  Willard  T.  Luther,  Wm.  Hill,  H.  Swan,  Rose  Rich 
and  others  did  the  early  preaching.  But  its  growth  was  due 
to  John  Wright,  the  first  elder,  and  Samuel  Wood,  a  young 
man  and  one  of  the  first  converts.  Besides  Samuel  Wood, 
the  congregation  has  sent  out  Charles  L.  Wood  and  W.  W. 
Solomon  as  ministers. 

T limey's  Prairie. 

Organized  1839,  by  Moses  and  Elijah  Goodwin;  value  of 
property,  $1,200;  Bible  school  began  1845. 

This  congregation  was  formed  at  the  Anderson  Walker 
Schoolhouse.  It  is  not  known  when  the  first  house  of  wor- 
ship was  built.  The  present  is  a  neat  frame  chapel,  where 
the  members  meet  regularly. 

J.  T.  Purvis  has  entered  the  ministry. 

Wayne  City. 

Organized  1887,  by  J.  S.  Rose;  present  membership,  125; 
value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible  school  began  1888;  present 
enrollment,  70. 

The  congregation  was  organized  in  the  M.  E.  Church. 
There  were  sixty  charter  members.  J.  M.  Lee,  J.  C.  Ashley 
and  W.  W.  Reid  were  chiefly  instrumental  in  the  formation 
of  the  church,  and  its  first  elders. 

There  is  a  ladies'  aid  and  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E. 


434  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Zif  (Clay  City). 

Organized  1878,  by  J.  C.  Black  and  W.  W.  Weedon; 
present  membership,  42;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible 
school  began  1878;  present  enrollment,  31. 

Congregation  met  in  residences  and  schoolhouse  till  the 
chapel  was  built  in  1896. 

In  former  years  there  were  churches  at  Barnhill,  from 
which  came  W.  W.  Weedon ;  Gum,  that  gave  W.  M.  Garri- 
son and  Leander  Harrington  to  the  ministry ;  at  Brown's,  at 
Blue  Point,  at  Brush  Creek,  at  Pleasant  Hill,  at  Gethsemane 
and  other  points,  but  by  reason  of  emigration  and  new  con- 
gregations springing  up  in  new  villages  grown  by  railroads, 
all  these  organizations  have  disappeared. 

WHITE    COUNTY. 

Ashland  (Mill  Shoals). 

Organized  1883,  by  W.  H.  Johnson;  present  membership, 
57;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1883;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  40. 

This  is  a  country  church  in  the  northwest  part  of  the 
county.  The  congregation  was  formed  under  the  lead  of 
Mr.  Johnson  as  president  of  the  County  Co-operation. 

George  B.  Carter  gave  for  a  building-place  an  acre  of 
ground  from  the  corner  of  his  farm,  on  which  there  was  a 
fine  grove  of  ash-trees ;  hence  the  local  name  of  the  church. 
The  house  was  built  in  1884. 

Bryant's  Valley  (Crossvllle). 

Present  membership,  100;  value  of  property,  $1,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  100. 

Carmi. 

Organized  1851,  by  P.  K.  Dibble;  present  membership, 
125;  value  of  property,  $20,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  130. 

The  twelve  charter  members  were  as  follows:  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Daniel  Hay,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Samuel  R.  Hay,  Mr.  and 


CHURCHES  435 

Mrs.  D.  G.  Hay,  Airs.  Mary  Robinson,  Mrs.  Sarah  Kearney, 
Mrs.  Robert  Gamble,  Miss  Susan  Wood,  Miss  Mary  DeTest 
and  Miss  Shoemaker. 

At  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  courthouse.  Many 
came  into  the  church.  The  first  house  was  a  small  brick, 
built  in  1852;  the  second,  a  frame,  built  in  1867,  and  the 
third  and  present  modern  edifice  in  1905,  during  the  pastor- 
ate of  Frank  Thompson.     Alfred  Flower  was  the  first  pastor. 

The  church  is  active  and  ambitious  for  the  highest  use- 
fulness. 

These  members  of  this  church  have  served  the  county: 
Jesse  Grissom  as  treasurer,  William  Poynton  as  circuit  clerk, 
Arthur  Poynton  as  deputy,  and  Otis  Downen  as  deputy 
county  clerk. 

Mrs.  Mary  Robinson  was  the  widow  of  Gen.  John  M. 
Robinson,  who  served  in  the  United  States  Senate  from  Illi- 
nois from  1830  to  1841  and  was  a  justice  of  the  State's 
Supreme  Court  when  he  died. 

Enfield. 

Organized  1868,  by  W.  H.  Crow;  present  membership, 
77',  value  of  property,  $1,800;  Bible  school  began  1868; 
present  enrollment,  55. 

Jonah  Marian  and  Naomi,  his  wife,  were  the  leading 
spirits  in  this  organization.  He,  Jacob  Fleck  and  J.  B. 
Holmes  were  the  first  elders.  Mr.  Crow  resided  in  Enfield 
at  the  time.  He  was  teaching  in  the  public  school  as  well  as 
preaching.  Other  faithful  members  were  Mr.  Stile,  Tolvin 
Rice,  G.  W.  Berry  and  J.  B.  Odell.  There  were  faithful 
sisters  too.     The  chapel  was  built  in  1890. 

Grayville. 

Organized  1840,  by  Elijah  Goodwin :  present  member- 
ship, 165;  value  of  property,  $5,000;  Bible-school  enroll- 
ment, 164. 

Minister  Goodwin  began  to  preach  in  Grayville  in  1837. 
The   following  were  the    seven    charter    members:    Daniel 


436  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Buckley  and  wife,  Jeremiah  Ruth  and  wife,  Martha  Lumb, 
Sarah  Mills  and  her  sister,  later  Mrs.  B.  W.  Kenner.  Mr. 
Buckley  was  the  first  elder,  Mr.  Ruth  the  first  deacon. 

Besides  Mr.  Goodwin,  among  the  preachers  of  the  earlier 
years  there  were  Andrew  Beard,  D.  K.  Biddle,  Moses  Good- 
win, J.  W.  Allen,  W.  P.  Slade,  Mr.  Goff  and  W.  F.  Black. 

The  first  building  was  erected  in '  1844  and  the  present 
one  in  1872,  the  latter  during  Mr.  Allen's  pastorate. 

The  church  has  passed  through  many  trials,  but  is  now 
alert  and  active.     Its  roll  has  many  honored  names. 

Mill  Shoals. 

Organized  1911,  by  themselves;  present  membership,  62; 
value  of  property,  $1,200;  Bible  school  began  1911;  present 
enrollment,  50. 

Disciples  residing  here  had  owned  a  lot  for  some  time. 
In  1911  they  decided  to  build  thereon  and  a  neat  frame 
chapel  went  right  up.  Then  they  organized  and  began  to 
keep  the  ordinances  of  the  Lord. 

The  outlook  is  bright.  The  elders  are  J.  B.  Johnson,  L. 
D.  Harland  and  Goodwin  Bucket. 

Seven  Mile  (Carmi). 

Organized  1839,  by  Moses  Goodwin ;  present  membership, 
90;  value  of  property,  $800:  Bible-school  enrollment,  70. 

This  church,  located  six  miles  northwest  of  Carmi,  was 
one  of  the  pioneer  churches  of  White  County.  The  follow- 
ing is  a  copy  of  a  paper  that  was  written  by  one  of  the  orig- 
inal members,  Dr.  Martin  Johnson :  "The  Christian  Church 
at  Seven-mile  Prairie  was  organized  on  the  24th  day  of 
February,  A.  D.  1839,  by  Elder  Moses  Goodwin,  upon  the 
following  constitution :  to-wit :  'We  take  the  Scriptures  of 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments  as  the  onlv  rule  of  our  faith 
and  practice.'  "  Those  who  then  sigrned  this  agreement  were 
Arthur  Johnson,  Lucy  Johnson,  John  Johnson,  Polly  John- 
son, A.  L.  Johnson,  Luranah  Johnson,  Martin  John- 
son and  Comfort  Johnson.     These  eight  people — and  other 


CHURCHES  437 

baptized  believers  who  later  affiliated  with  them — came 
from  the  Old  Union  Church  of  the  Christian  Denomination 
in  Gibson  County,  Ind.  Another  entry,  on  August  21,  of 
records  show  that  there  were  twenty-eight  members,  that 
Moses  Goodwin  had  moved  to  the  Prairie  and  united  with 
the  church,  and  that  he  and  A.  L.  Johnson  were  elders  of 
the  congregation,  with  John  and  James  M.  Johnson,  deacons. 
Hon.  W.  H.  Johnson,  of  Lancaster,  111.,  writing  of  these 
people  and  this  church,  says: 

My  great-grandfather,  Arthur  Johnson,  and  wife,  and  my  grand- 
father, John  Johnson,  and  his  wife,  original  or  charter  members  of 
the  Seven  Mile  Prairie  Church,  had  bean  charter  members  of  the 
Old  Union  Church  in  Indiana,  which  organized  over  one  hundred 
years  ago.  About  the  time  the  church  in  Seven  Mile  Prairie  was 
organized,  Elder  Moses  Goodwin  succeeded  in  bringing  Old  Union 
Church,  as  a  whole,  into  what  was  called  the  Campbell  Reformation. 
Elijah  Goodwin,  whose  mother  (then  the  wife  of  my  Grandfather 
Johnson),  brother  Moses  and  two  sisters  (Mrs.  Luranah  Johnson  and 
Mrs.  Axie  Crabtree)  lived  in  the  Prairie,  often  visited  the  neighbor- 
hood and  preached  here.  Moses  Goodwin  and  Fenton  Lumm,  both 
natural  orators  and  splendid  preachers,  lived  in  Seven  Mile  Prairie 
and  their  labors  took  in  all  the  surrounding  country.  My  uncle, 
Arthur  Johnson,  one  of  the  first  elders,  was  an  able  preacher  and  a 
strong  defender  of  the  faith,  but  never  became  an  evangelist.  He 
conducted  three  public  discussions  successfully.  Frank  Murdock,  S.  F. 
Rogers.  Barton  W.  Kello  and  Isaac  Kello  were  faithful  ministers 
sent  out  by  Old  Seven  Mile  Prairie  Church. 

There  have  been  three  chapels.  The  first  of  logs,  with 
a  long  shed  on  the  south  side,  built  on  the  land  of  John 
Johnson.  The  second,  a  frame,  near  the  east  end  of  the 
ijridge  over  the  creek.  The  third  stands  on  the  Carmi  and 
Mill  Shoals  Road  nearly  a  mile  east  of  the  second  house. 

This  church  has  contributed  much  to  the  production  of 
other  congreg^ations.  Its  members  held  clearly  defined  con- 
victions of  Christian  truth  and  were  filled  with  the  spirit  of 
conquest. 

Spnngerfon. 

Present  membership,  100;  value  of  property,  $1,000; 
Bible-school  enrollment,  84. 


438  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

WHITESIDE    COUNTY. 

Coleta. 

Organized  1847,  by  Henry  Howe  and  John  Yager;  pres- 
ent membership,  71;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school 
began  1855 ;  present  enrollment,  73. 

In  1837  the  Yager  family  came  from  Ohio  and  settled 
in  Genesse  Grove,  about  three  miles  from  the  site  of 
Coleta.  The  Stanley,  Crum  and  Nance  families,  from  dif- 
ferent places,  soon  followed.  John  Yager,  then  a  young 
farmer  and  minister,  began  to  preach  at  the  Grove  and  to 
the  widely  separated  pioneers  more  or  less  regularly.  Min. 
Henry  Howe  came  down  from  Wisconsin  and  held  a  pro- 
tracted meeting.  Then  the  church  was  formed  with  the 
following  members :  John  Yager  and  wife,  Mrs.  Rose  Ann 
Crum- Wick,  John  Moxley  and  wife,  Mrs.  Margaret  Ann  Crum- 
Wick,  Miss  Rose  Ann  Crum,  Clement  D.  Nance  and  wife, 
Airs.  David  Nance,  Benjamin  Tripp,  Mrs.  Sarah  Jane  Crum- 
Stanley  and  Samuel  Landis  and  wife.  The  following  were 
converted  during  Mr.  Howe's  meeting:  Thomas  J.  Stanley 
and  wife,  Pleasant  Stanley,  Wm.  Stanley  and  wife,  David 
Nance,  John  T.  Crum,  John  Hill,  John  Shepherd  and  wife, 
Miss  Ruth  Nance,  Nathaniel  Landis,  Mr.  Sperling  and  wife, 
and  Dr.  Hopkins  and  wife.  These  thirty  were  the  charter 
members.  This  meeting  was  held  in  the  house  of  John  Mox- 
ley. The  place  of  baptizing  was  Moxley's  Ford,  and  was 
for  many  years.  To  these  were  soon  added  Wm.  Crum  and 
wife,  John  Tryer  and  wife.  Dr.  Dodd  and  wife,  C.  W.  Sher- 
wood and  wife,  Oscar  Royer  and  wife,  Fred  Strand  and 
wife,  Henry  Mason  and  wife,  James  Mason  and  wife,  C.  B. 
Peugh  and  wife,  and  Mrs.  Polly  Harrison,  who  came  from 
North  Carolina  and  was  well  known  for  her  fidelity  to  the 
Lord's  work. 

John  Yager  and  Clement  D.  Nance  were  the  Scriptural 
elders  for  many  years.  The  first  deacons  were  Thompson 
and  William   Crum  and  David   Nance. 

The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  cabins  of  the  settlers, 


CHURCHES  439 

next  in  the  schoolhouse  till  1864,  when  a  chapel  was  built, 
mainly  by  John  Yager.  This  gave  place  to  a  more  modern 
building  in  Coleta  about  1885. 

C.  W.  Sherwood,  E.  J.  and  F.  B.  Stanley  were  given  to 
the  ministry. 

This  congregation  was  composed  of  substantial  people  and 

exerted  a   fine   influence   in   its   own   community.      It   was   a 

willing  helper  in  establishing  churches  of  Christ  in  that  part 

of  the  State.  r-  • 

trie. 

Organized  1870,  by  J.  N.  Smith  and  Chas.  W.  Sherwood; 
present  membership,  100;  value  of  property,  $4,200;  Bible 
school  began  1870;  present  enrollment,  58. 

In  the  early  sixties,  Erie  was  known  chiefly  for  its  sand- 
fleas  and  Jim  Pratt,  a  local  and  noted  infidel.  His  aim  was 
to  run  every  preacher  out  of  the  town  who  tried  to  preach 
the  gospel  there.  Whereupon,  at  the  solicitation  of  Mr. 
Matthews,  a  loyal  and  royal  Disciple,  Pastor  J.  N.  Smith 
came  down  from  Lanark  and  ground  Mr.  Pratt  through  the 
mill  of  a  public  debate.  The  next  spring,  Mr.  Smith 
returned  and  organized  a  church  with  thirteen  charter  mem- 
bers. Of  these,  Luther  Alatthews  and  Mrs.  Carrie 
Matthews-Greidly  are  the  only  survivors. 

They  first  met  in  the  schoolhouse.  In  1871  an  old  chapel 
was  bought  and  remodeled.     Later,  a  good  house  was  built. 

Among  those  who  served  the  congregation  there  were 
John  Yager,  L.  D.  Waldo,  D.  J.  Howe,  T.  B.  Stanley  and 
Mrs.  Clara  C.  Babcock.  The  feeble  condition  of  the  church 
led  Mrs.  Babcock  to  take  up  its  care.  She  served  it  three 
terms,  aggregating  fourteen  years. 

Fulton. 

Organized  1896,  by  N.  S.  Haynes  and  Mrs.  C.  C.  Bab- 
cock; present  membership,  40;  Bible  school  began  1896; 
present  enrollment,  45. 

The  church  has  never  secured  a  firm  hold  in  the  com- 
munity.    It  has  given  Frank  Bear  to  the  ministry. 


440  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Rock  Falls. 

Organized  1905,  by  H.  E.  Monser  and  W.  E.  Spicer; 
present  membership,  200;  value  of  property,  $2,300;  Bible 
school  began  1897;  present  enrollment,  272. 

About  1890,  Arthur  Babcock,  son  of  Mrs.  C.  C.  Babcock, 
gathered  together  in  his  own  home  a  number  of  children 
who  were  not  attending  Sunday  school.  The  number  grew 
to  near  one  hundred.  An  appeal  to  the  general  public  for 
means  to  build  a  chapel  was  well  answered.  Mr.  Morrell 
gave  the  lot.  Mrs.  Babcock  conducted  a  meeting  of  days  at 
the  dedication  and  about  twenty  were  added  to  the  Sterling 
Church.  The  organization  of  the  Rock  Falls  congregation 
was  delayed  till  1905. 

Elmer  Frost  and  Walter  Miner  became  ministers. 

Sterling. 

Organized  1875,  by  Knowles  Shaw  and  J.  J.  Moss;  pres- 
ent membership,  276;  value  of  property,  $3,500;  Bible  school 
began  1875  ;  present  enrollment,  163. 

The  churches  of  Christ  in  northern  Illinois,  though  few 
in  numbers,  have  always  been  aggressively  missionary. 

They  led  in  and  financed  the  effort  that  produced  the 
Sterling  Church.  Evangelist  Knowles  Shaw  conducted  a 
tent  meeting  that  continued  thirty-three  days.  There  were 
about  seventy-five  charter  members.  For  five  Lord's  Days 
the  Coleta  congregation  came  en  masse,  bringing  provisions 
to  feed  all  the  hungry,  and  for  three  Sundays  the  Pine 
Creek  Church  did  the  sa^ie. 

The  first  elders  were  W.  F.  Eastman,  J.  S.  Detweiler  and 
Geo.  W.  Nance,  and  the  first  deacons,  R.  B.  Colcord  and  J. 
D.  Nance. 

Six  great  meetings  have  been  held  by  evangelists  since 
the  first  one. 

The  church  has  given  to  public  service  Mi«=s  Mary  Kings- 
bury, a  missionary  in  India  ;  Mrs.  Clara  C.  Babcock,  G.  W. 
Pearl,  S.  H.  Zendt,  L.  O.  Lehman  and  Miss  Rachel  Crouch. 


CHURCHES  441 

In  1880  the  State  Board  fostered  the  church  by  $360 
and  Peter  Whitmer,  of  Bloomington,  by  $400,  both  on  condi- 
tion that  the  congregation  purchase  and  pay  for  a  chapel, 
which  was  done. 

Tampico, 

Organized  1900,  by  J.  S.  Clements;  present  membership, 
95;  value  of  property,  $3,500;  Bible  school  began  1900; 
present  enrollment,  60. 

This  year  the  State  Mission  Board  sent  Knox  P.  Taylor 
here  to  hold  a  two  weeks'  Bible-school  institute  on  condition 
that  the  Yorktown  congregation  follow  up  with  a  meeting. 
This  was  done,  but  it  cost  Yorktown  thirty  of  its  own 
members. 

WILL   COUNTY. 

JoHet  First. 

Organized  1897,  by  John  Williams ;  present  membership, 
50;  value  of  property,  $8,200,  Bible  school  began  1897; 
present  enrollment,  45. 

There  were  twenty-one  charter  members.  The  house  of 
worship  was  finished  and  dedicated  free  from  debt  in  1905. 
This  was  largely  due  to  the  liberality  of  Col.  D.  H.  Darling 
and  his  wife,  who  were  devoted  members  of  the  church. 
Slow  but  steady  progress  is  made  now. 

In  1905  the  Central  Church  was  organized  with  forty- 
two  members  by  Sec.  J.  Fred  Jones.  It  grew  out  of  a  fac- 
tional spirit  and  after  a  short  period  disbanded. 

WILLIAMSON    COUNTY. 

The  early  churches  were  organized  in  residences,  groves 
and  schoolhouses.  Some  of  them  were  short-lived,  but 
served  as  seed-sowers  in  planting  the  primitive  gospel.  The 
exact  dates  can  not  be  given,  but  they  were  planted  in  about 
the  following  order  and  principally  by  the  men  named  below : 
About  1840  a  church  was  formed  in  the  Pulley  settlement, 
northeast  of  Marion;  one  in  the  Grain  settlement,  west  of 


442  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Marion;  one  in  the  Goodall  settlement,  east  of  Marion; 
another  north  of  Spillertown,  where  a  log  chapel  was  built. 
Then  came  the  Lake  Creek  Church  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  county  and  Bond  Church  in  the  northwest  corner.  These 
all  served  their  time  and  have  long  since  become  extinct. 

Wm.  H.  Willford,  of  Tennessee,  was  one  of  the  first 
Christian  ministers  who  came  to  this  county.  About  1840 
he  located  near  Crab  Orchard.  He  owned  the  first  printing- 
press  in  the  county  and  issued  a  small  paper  called  the 
Western  Monitor.  He  also  published  a  few  books  and 
preached  the  gospel. 

Arch  T.  Benson,  a  Marion  merchant,  preached  the  gospel 
from  house  to  house  in  a  very  acceptable  and  sympathetic 
manner. 

Among  others  of  the  early  preachers  were  Dr.  Bundy  and 
William  Spiller,  of  Marion;  Cyrus  Heape,  of  Tamaroa ; 
Mathew  Wilson,  of  Carterville,  and  Isaac  and  Newton 
Mulkey,  of  Mulkeytown. 

Carterville. 

Organized  1885,  by  J.  J.  Hudson ;  present  membership, 
290;  value  of  property,  $10,000;  Bible  school  began  1885; 
present  enrollment,  225. 

Met  in  hall  till  chapel  v/as  built  in  1888.  The  commo- 
dious  brick   structure   came    recently.      Active   church,    with 

good  C.  E.  ^      7    ca  • 

Creal  Springs. 

Organized  4895,  by  J.  J.  Bobbitt;  present  membership, 
50;  value  of  property,  $700;  Bible  school  began  1895;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  40. 

A  product  of  the  Eighth  District.  Only  a  Bible  school 
has  been  maintained  for  several  years. 

Fordville   (Carterville). 

Oreanized  1868,  by  Mathew  Wilson ;  present  member- 
ship, 25;  value  of  property,  $500;  Bible  school  began  1870; 
present  enrollment,  74, 


CHURCHES  443 

Three  miles  southwest  of  Carterville.  When  Mr.  Wilson 
reached  the  community  to  preach,  it  was  dark  and  no  one- 
had  brought  a  light.  He  began  by  saying:  "Seeing  that  you 
people  are  in  darkness,  I  will  proceed  to  give  you  the  light 
of  the  gospel."  The  chapel  was  built  in  1870.  Repeated 
swarms  from  this  Christian  hive  have  reduced  its  numbers. 

H  err  in. 

Organized  1864,  by  Samuel  Wilson;  present  membership, 
145;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $5,000;  Bible 
school  began  1864;  present  enrollment,   184. 

Meetings  were  held  in  the  schoolhouse  till  1867,  when  a 
modest  chapel  was  built.  It  gave  way  in  1898  to  the  present 
building. 

The  original  members  were  Newton  Bradley,  Samuel 
Stotlar,  William  and  Louisa  Williams ;  George,  Nathan  and 
Sarah  J.  Cox;  Eliza  Spillar,  Eliza  Stotlar  and  ''Grandma" 
Lawrence. 

Johnson  City. 

Organized  1904,  by  Gilbert  Jones ;  present  membership, 
90;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible  school  began  1904; 
present  enrollment,  54. 

This  congregation  \vas  the  result  of  a  five  weeks'  meeting 
conducted  by  District  Evangelist  Jones.  There  were  sixty 
charter  members. 

The  chapel  was  built  at  once.  Mr.  Jones  w^orked  thereon 
in  the  daytime  and  preached  at  night.  This  task,  including 
manual  and  ministerial  labor,  was  the  gift  of  Mr.  Jones. 

Marion. 

Organized  1865,  by  H.  T.  Banta  and  A.  T.  Benson ;  pres- 
ent membership,  430;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage, 
$18,500;  Bible  school  began  1865;  present  enrollment,  213. 

The  house  of  worship  was  erected  in  1875  and  remodeled 
in  1901.  A  goodly  number  of  representative  people  have 
always  belonged  to  its  membership. 


444  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Reeves. 

Organized    1905,   by   F.    L.    Davis ;   present   membership, 
125;  value  of  property,  $2,000;  Bible-school  enrollment,  80- 
Chapel  built  in  1896.    Irregular  preaching. 

Shiloh  (Marion). 

Organized  1866,  by  Mathew  Wilson ;  present  membership, 
100;  value  of  property,  $800;  Bible-school  enrollment,  48. 

Three  miles  north  of  Marion.  Organized  in  a  grove. 
Have  done  good  work  and  do  yet. 

West  Chapel  (Carbondale). 

Organized  1897,  by  F.  M.  Phillips ;  present  membership, 
35;  value  of  property,  $800;  Bible  school  began  1899;  pres- 
ent enrollment,  60. 

This  is  six  miles  south  of  Carterville.  Organized  in 
schoolhouse.     Chapel  built  in  1894. 

A  congregation  at  Grange  Hall,  and  another  at  Rairs 
Grove,  both  having  chapels,  have  ceased  to  meet. 

WINNEBAGO    COUNTY. 

Rockford. 

Organized  1856,  by  A.  P.  Jones  and  Wm.  Hayden ;  pres- 
ent membership,  291;  value  of  property,  $25,000;  Bible- 
school  enrollment,  369. 

There  were  thirty-five  charter  members  in  this  organiza- 
tion. The  church  made  feeble  progress  and  disappeared  in 
the  early  nineties.  The  property  was  sold  for  debt.  Other 
Disciples  moved  into  the  city  and  the  Central  Christian 
Church  was  formed  by  Min.  L.  E.  Prather  in  1898.  During 
the  seven  years'  pastorate  of  O.  F.  Jordan,  a  stone  chapel 
was  bought  and  paid  for,  but  durin^f  the  next  ministry,  that 
of  W,  B.  Ward,  this  property  was  sold  and  the  present  prop- 
erty, better  located,  was  bought.  Wm.  B.  Clemner,  the  pres- 
ent well-equipped  and  efficient  pastor,  led  in  the  erection  of 
this  fine  building. 


CHURCHES  445 

WOODFORD   COUNTY. 

The  county-seat  of  Woodford  has  had  three  locations. 
This  fact  has  naturally  led  to  changes  in  population.  The 
first  was  Versailles,  located  four  miles  southeast  of  Eureka, 
the  second,  Metamora,  and  the  third.  Eureka.  There  was  a 
congregation  of  Christians  at  Versailles  in  the  early  years, 
and  also  a  second  one  when  the  place  had  become  wholly 
rural,  but  both  passed  away.  At  Metamora  there  was  for- 
merly a  self-supporting  church  of  Christ,  but  later  the  com- 
munity became  so  Romanized  that  only  a  union  church  has 
been  maintained  for  two  decades. 

The  Panther  Creek  congregation  was  the  second  church 
of  Christ  formed  in  the  county,  according  to  the  testimony  of 
Mr.  Aaron  A.  Richardson.  It  was  located  about  five  miles 
southeast  of  Eureka  and  about  six  miles  southwest  of  Secor. 
It  was  organized  about  1840,  with  Amos  Watkins  and  James 
Robeson,  elders,  and  Warren  Watkins  one  of  the  deacons. 
The  first  meeting  was  held  in  the  residence  of  Amos  Wat- 
kins, says  Mr.  Richardson.  "The  first  time  I  ever  remember 
being  at  church  was  in  this  house.  John  Hibbs  preached  the 
sermon.  My  grandmother  united  and  Elmia  and  Martha 
Watkins  were  baptized  that  day."  This  church  continued 
until  about  1860.  Many  of  its  members  had  moved  away. 
Of  the  remainder,  some  went  to  Secor,  others  to  Palestine. 

Palestine  congregation  was  located  about  seven  miles  east 
and  south  of  Eureka.  The  meeting-house  of  the  Panther 
Creek  Church  was  moved  there.  It  carried  on  its  work  for 
about  fifty  years,  but  has  ceased  to  be. 

A  congregation  was  formed  at  Cram's  Schoolhouse,  about 
two  and  one-half  miles  northeast  of  the  site  of  Secor.  This 
was  probably  about  1848,  as  the  McCords,  Patricks  and 
Eillberrys  were  among  its  members.  This  was  known  as  the 
Panther  Grove  Church.  Sympson  Y.  Barnard  and  Wm. 
Perry  were  the  first  elders.  Meetings  were  later  held  in 
Willow  Tree  Schoolhouse  and  finally  moved  to  the  village 
of  Roanoke. 


446  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

There  was  a  flourishing  church  at  Bowhng  Green,  a  vil- 
lage eight  miles  southeast  of  Eureka,  in  the  early  fifties.  For 
some  years  this  was  the  home  of  Min.  James  Robeson.  This 
congregation  long  since  passed  away. 

The  Partridge  congregation  was  located  west  of  Meta- 
mora,  but  conservatism  finally  closed  its  doors. 

Caccjwz'ia. 

Organized  1903,  by  E.  O.  Sharp ;  Bible  school  began  1903. 

The  church  at  Washburn  planted  a  mission  here.  The 
meetings  were  held  in  a  storeroom,  the  use  of  which  was 
given  by  its  owner,  Mr.  C.  B.  Pickerell.  Mr.  Sharp  was  the 
evangelist  of  the  Fourth  ]\Iissionary  District  when  the  organ- 
ization was  effected  with  twenty-seven  members.  Thereafter, 
the  preaching  was  by  the  pastors  of  the  Washburn  congre- 
gation and  Eureka  College  students.  During  the  ministry 
of  B.  L.  Wray,  a  substantial  chapel  was  built,  the  church 
became  self-supporting  and  was  fairly  prosperous.  But 
removals  and  death  soon  weakened  it. 

Now  the  congregation  is  made  up  of  members  of  various 
denominations  and  is  ministered  to  by  Fred  Carr,  of  Eureka. 

El  Paso. 

Organized  1864,  by  John  Lindsav :  present  membership, 
250;  value  of  property,  $12,000;  Bible  school  began  1864; 
present  enrollment,  125. 

For  twenty  years  this  church  was  feeble.  The  following 
was  the  beginning: 

We,  the  undersigned  disciples  of  Christ,  do  hereby  constitute  our- 
selves into  a  congregation  of  Christ  for  the  purpose  of  worshiping  God 
together  in  El  Paso,  taking  the  Bible  as  our  rule  of  faith  and  practice, 
and  to  be  known  and  styled  the  Christian  Church  in  El  Paso,  Illinois. 

The  forty  names  which  were  subscribed  were  these:  J. 
11.,  Juliett,  Mary  L.  and  L.  B.  Moore ;  M.  R.  Bullock,  John 
and  Margaret  Canfield,  Jane  and  Alice  Dixon,  Maggie  Him- 
mond,  Jackson  Luttril,  Sarah  C.  Bayles,  Lucenda  and  Evar- 


CHURCHES  447 

gatine  McLord,  Mary  Packard,  Elizabeth  King,  M.  Potter; 
F.  J.,  S.  J.,  Martha  and  Maria  Barnard ;  Mary  Ann  Stephen- 
son, Mary  Brewer,  Amanda  J.  WilHs,  John  and  Hannah  D. 
Hibbs,  Mary  Smith,  Ehzabeth  O'Neal,  Esther  Reeves,  M. 
W.  and  Julia  Y.  Thompson,  Hannah  Montgomery,  D.  P. 
and  M.  A.  Harber,  Agnes  and  Elmira  Gibson. 

John  Hibbs  and  D.  P.  Harber  were  chosen  elders,  with 
F.  T.  Barnard  and  (afterward)   Cyrus  Gibson,  deacons. 

This  meeting  was  held  at  10:30  a.  m.  on  July  4,  1864. 
John  Lindsay  and  James  Robeson  both  preached. 

The  church  was  then  constituted  by  the  labors  of  Mr.  John  Lind- 
say, working  in  the  service  of   the   Woodford   County   Co-operation. 

J.  H.  Moore,  Chairman. 

A  small  frame  chapel  was  built  in  1865.  The  pulpit  was 
supplied  for  fifteen  years.  But  El  Paso  did  not  increase  in 
population  as  rapidly  as  it  was  surmised  at  that  time  that 
every  railroad  crossing  would.  The  church  lapsed  from  the 
spring  of  1881  to  December,  1886.  Then  E.  J.  Lampton 
held  a  meeting  of  days  and  reorganized  the  congregation 
with  thirty-four  members.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the 
permanent  growth  of  the  church.  J.  E.  Jewett,  J.  D.  Dabney 
and  C.  S.  Medbury  were  then  pastors.  During  the  latter's 
ministry  the  congregation  grew,  and  the  present  building  was 
finished  in  1895. 

Eureka. 

Organized  1832,  by  John  Oatman ;  present  membership, 
805;  value  of  property,  including  parsonage,  $23,400;  Bible 
school  began  1852;  present  enrollment,  526. 

In  April,  1832,  what  was  then  known  as  the  Walnut 
Grove  Church  of  Christ  was  organized  in  the  log-cabin  resi- 
dence of  Min.  John  Oatman,  that  stood  about  one-half  mile 
northeast  of  the  railway  depot  now  there.  The  thirteen 
charter  members  were  the  following:  John  Oatman  and 
Nancy,  his  wife,  and  their  children,  Eliza,  Joseph,  Clement, 
Jesse  and  Hardin  Oatman ;  Daniel  and  Rhoda  Travis,  Joshua 
and  Mary  Woosley,  and  Samuel  and  Rebecca  Arnold. 


448  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Meetings  were  held  in  the  residences  of  the  settlers,  in 
groves  and  in  the  barns  of  Daniel  Meek,  Caleb  Davidson 
and  Ben  Major  until  the  summer  of  1846,  when  the  ''old 
meeting-house"  was  built.  It  stood  on  the  spot  now  occupied 
by  the  Soldiers'  Monument  in  Olio  Cemetery.  This  build- 
ing was  used  until  1864,  when  a  two-story  brick  house  was 
erected  on  the  site  of  the  present  structure.  At  that  time 
the  pulpit  was  filled  by  H.  W.  Everest,  Dr.  J.  M.  Allen  and 
A.  G.  Ewing.  The  present  edifice  was  erected  in  1901 
during  the  pastorate  of  N.  S.  Haynes. 

The  Sunday  school  was  organized  in  1852  with  Ben 
Major  as  superintendent.  Previous  to  this  a  Bible  class  had 
been  conducted  by  Min.  John  T.  Jones,  which  met  in  the 
homes  of  its  members.  The  school  was  broken  up  in  1852 
by   cholera. 

Mr.  Oatman  served  the  church  three  years.  In  1836, 
Ben  Major  and  Elijah  Dickinson,  Sr.,  were  elected  elders 
and  continued  with  active  efficiency  until  relieved  by  death — 
the  former  in  1852  and  the  latter  in  1862.  Min.  William 
Davenport  was  the  local  minister  of  the  church  from  1835 
to  1855.  When  he  was  away  the  elders  led  the  public  wor- 
ship. From  1855  to  1868  the  pulpit  was  supplied,  in  addition 
to  the  three  above  named,  by  O.  A.  Burgess,  C.  L.  Loos, 
William  Poynter  and  B.  W.  and  R.  H.  Johnson.  In  1868, 
A.  S.  Hayden  became  the  pastor  of  the  congregation,  serving 
three  years.  During  the  next  fifteen  years  the  pulpit  was 
filled  by  B.  J.  Radford,  H.  W.  Everest  and  Dr.  J.  M. 
Allen,  very  much  the  longer  part  of  the  period  falling  to 
Mr.  Radford.  The  two  brief  pastorates  during  this  period 
were  those  of  J.  H.  Berry  and  B.  J.  Pinkerton.  The  pastors 
who  succeeded  were  J.  G.  Waggoner  for  two  terms,  W.  H. 
Cannon,  N.  S.  Haynes,  A.  W.  Taylor  and  D.  H.  Shields. 

Great  special  meetings  were  held  with  the  congregation 
by  Evangelists  D.  P.  Henderson,  James  Robeson,  Alexander 
Proctor,  William  Davenport,  Knowles  Shaw  and  George  F. 
Hall. 

This  has  been,  and  is  yet,  one  of  the  great  churches  of 


CHURCHES  449 

the  State.  For  eighty  years  it  has  been  noted  for  its  cheer- 
ful hospitality,  generous  liberality  and  its  manifold  good 
works. 

Minonk. 

Organized  1865,  by  John  Roberts;  present  membership, 
69;  value  of  property,  $3,200;  Bible  school  began  1867; 
present  enrollment,  75. 

The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  old  East  Side  School- 
house  once  a  month,  alternating  with  the  Baptists,  Presby- 
terians and  Methodists.  The  first  elders  were  Craigie  Sharp, 
Sr.,  Jonathan  Macy  and  Joseph  F.  Burt.  The  deacons  were 
Wm.  Norris,  J.  T.  Taylor  and  J.  L.  Vance. 

The  building  was  first  occupied  in  1867.  It  was  remod- 
eled in   1907. 

About  1870  the  harmony  and  usefulness  of  the  congre- 
gation were  seriously  impaired  by  strife  over  the  use  of  an 
organ  in  the  public  worship. 

The  pastors  were  J.  C.  Stark,  A.  H.  Trowbridge,  J.  F. 
Ghormley,  S.  D.  Vawter,  G.  A.  Miller,  Paul  H.  Castle,  F. 
E.  Hagin,  D.  H.  Shields  and  Byron  Piatt.  These  were  at 
intervals  as  death  and  removals  depleted  the  membership. 
The  church  house  was  closed  from  the  fall  of  1897  to  the 
close  of  1904.  Then  W.  F.  Kohl,  the  pastor  at  Rutland, 
revived  the  remnant  and  reorganized  the  congregation  with 
eighteen  members. 

Since  then,  J.  H.  Bullock,  C.  D.  Hougham,  H.  C. 
Reichel,  Ernest  Reed,  Silas  Jones  and  F.  M.  Morgan  have 
served  the  church.  R.  L.  Beshers  is  the  present  pastor. 
Clara  B.  Vance  is  the  clerk. 

Mt.  Zion  (Eureka). 

Organized  1855,  by  John  T.  Jones  and  William  Poynter; 
present  membership,  40;  value  of  property,  $1,500;  Bible 
school  began  1855 ;  present  enrollment,  38. 

On  April  29,  in  the  schoolhouse  which  stood  near  the 
site  of  the  present  chapel,  "the  church  of   Christ,  meeting 

16 


450         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

for  worship  at  the  head  of  Walnut  Grove,"  was  constituted 
with  the  following  members:  Joshua,  Sarah  V.,  James,  T. 
C  and  Eleanor  R.  Jones;  Jane  Todd;  William  S.,  Sarah  C. 
and  Rhoda  J.  Magarity;  Robert  Carr;  R.  R.,  Mary  A.  and 
John  Grady;  William  T.,  Senith  A.,  Mary  and  Elijah  Woos- 
ley;  Margaret  and  P.  Buckner  Stitt;  Martha,  Peter,  Susan 
and  Mary  Crow ;  James  R.,  Letitia  A.  and  Adolphus  G.  Oat- 
inan ;  David  and  Martha  Harber ;  Mary  and  Lucy  W.  Parke ; 
Mary  W.  and  Lorenzo  Bateman ;  James,  Nancy  O.,  J. 
Pleasant  and  Eliza  J.  Mitchell;  Robert,  Harriett,  Sarah  A. 
and  John  Foster ;  Robert  and  Mary  A.  Nance ;  Solomon, 
Thomas,  Wilson,  Sarah  A.,  Nathan  and  Sarah  Tucker;  Har- 
riett, Ellis,  Caroline  and  Nancy  J.  Trunnel ;  Patsey  Parker, 
Albert  U.  Barber,  Isaac  Swearingen,  Jacob  A.  Casart,  Alonzo 
Pratt,  William  Higgens,  George  Davier;  John  C,  Sarah, 
William,  Susan  and  Nancy  Mitchell. 

Most  of  these  brought  letters  from  "The  Church  of 
Christ,  Walnut  Grove."  Joshua  Jones,  Robert  Foster  and 
Wm.  S.  Magarity  were  elected  elders ;  William  Mitchell, 
James  R.  Oatman  and  Wilson  Tucker,  deacons;  James  R. 
Bateman,  clerk,  and  William  Mitchell,  treasurer. 

This  little  congregation,  located  about  four  miles  north- 
west of  Eureka,  has  always  held  a  large  percentage  of  most 
excellent  Christian  people. 

About  125  preachers  have  ministered  here.  Many  of 
them  were  college  students  who  have  gone  forward  to  the 
first  rank  in  the  ministry. 

Roanoke. 

Organized  1872,  by  J.  B.  McCorkle;  present  membership, 
20;  value  of  property,  $2,500;  Bible  school  began  1872; 
present  enrollment,   30. 

The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  old  Bunch  School- 
house,  then  at  the  Willow  Tree  Schoolhouse. 

While  the  meetins^s  were  held  in  these  places,  1872  to 
1874,  Min.  Rufus  Gish,  a  "Dunkard"  preacher,  used  to 
debate  with  Mr.  McCorkle. 


CHURCHES  451 

Mr.  D.  F.  Fanber  gave  lots  for  the  church  building,  and 
the  chapel  was  dedicated  by  Dr.  J.  M.  Allen  in  1874.  Min- 
isters McCorkle  and  W.  C.  Poynter  served  the  congregation 
on  alternate  Sundays  for  several  years,  and  the  latter  con- 
tinued his  service  after  the  decease  of  the  former. 

Messrs.  D.  T.  Fanber,  C.  M.  Stephens,  B.  G.  Kindig  and 
J.  R.  Wilson  were  some  of  the  men  who  did  faithful  work 
in  the  earlier  years. 

Secor, 

Organized  1862,  by  James  Robeson;  present  membership, 
30;  value  of  property,  $1,000;  Bible  school  began  1862; 
present  enrollment,  50. 

Minister  Robeson,  assisted  by  Min.  John  Lindsay,  held  a 
meeting  of  days  in  an  old  corn-crib,  during  which  over  forty 
people  turned  to  the  Lord. 

The  first  elders  were  James  ]\L  Richardson  and  H.  B. 
Mathews,  and  the  first  deacons,  Aaron  A.  Richardson,  Henry 
B.  Smith,  and  Garrett  and  Rankin  Armstrong. 

The  congregation  met  for  worship  in  the  little  old  school- 
house  until  the  chapel  was  built.  As  the  years  passed,  an 
increasing  percentage  of  Germans  came  into  the  community. 
The  church  finally  divided  on  questions  of  opinion.  In  1898 
the  conservatives  received  a  deed  to  a  lot  that  specifically 
proscribes  the  use  or  placing  of  any  musical  instrument  on 
the  premises,  the  organizing  of  any  societies  of  any  kind, 
and  the  permission  to  preach  in  the  house  by  any  one  who 
favors  these  prohibited  things.  That  both  congregations 
have  maintained  only  a  feeble  life  under  all  the  circum- 
stances is  apparent. 

Washhurn. 

Organized  1864,  by  David  Sharpies;  present  membership, 
250;  value  of  property,  including  parsonas^e,  $10,500;  Bible 
school  beean   1864;  present  enrollment,  297. 

Evang-elist  Sharpies  was  in  the  service  of  the  Woodford 
County  Co-operation  when  he  held  the  meeting  that  resulted 
in  the  formation  of  this  church.     There  were  thirty  charter 


452  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

members,  the  larger  part  of  whom  came  from  Vernon 
Schoolhouse,  two  miles  southeast,  and  the  old  Salem  Church, 
seven  miles  northwest  of  Washburn. 

In  1867  a  substantial  building,  just  across  the  line  in 
Marshall  County,  was  dedicated  by  Min.  Theodore  Brooks. 
In  1890  it  was  moved  to  a  more  suitable  location  nearer  the 
center  of  the  village,  remodeled  and  enlarged.  Additional 
improvements  were  made  in  it  during  1912. 

The  following  pastors  have  served  the  congregation: 
John  L.  McCunne,  Charles  Rowe,  David  Sharpies  (two 
periods),  Hugh  B.  Rice,  John  D.  Henry,  Theodore  Brooks, 
A.  P.  Cobb,  J.  A.  Brenenstuhl,  R.  E.  Dunlap,  WilHam  Hay- 
den,  W.  A.  Humphrey,  S.  S.  Lappin,  L  H.  Fuller,  J.  W. 
Kilborn,  H.  H.  Jenner,  Rochester  Irwin  and  R.  G.  Jones. 

The  church  has  always  held  its  ministers  in  high  esteem, 
for  they  have  been  very  worthy  men.  From  the  first,  it 
has  grown  in  numbers  and  influence.  No  discord  has  ever 
stained  its  fair  name  nor  hindered  its  admirable  progress. 
It  has  always  responded  promptly  to  all  calls  for  benevolent 
work.     It  is  well  organized  and  officered. 

It  has  given  to  the  Christian  ministry  L.  B.  Pickerell, 
Stephen  E.  Fisher,  Charles  Richards  and  Gilbert  Gish. 

Section   2. 

Bible  Schools. 

The  Disciples  of  Christ  in  Illinois  were  slower  in  the 
appreciation  of  the  value  of  Sunday  schools  than  other 
evangelical  bodies.  Their  first  work  was  to  clear  away  the 
theological  debris  of  the  centuries  by  teaching  and  preaching 
the  word  of  God.  Very  naturally,  this  advocacy  was 
addressed  to  adult  rather  than  to  adolescent  minds.  Only  with 
the  passing  years  was  the  necessity  and  duty  of  child-train- 
ing recognized.  With  it  came  questions  about  methods  and 
m.any  meetings  for  conference  and  fraternal  discussions.  To 
the  State  Meeting  that  convened  in  Springfield,  Aug.  30, 
1865,  Eli  Fisher,  evangelist  in  the  Second  District,  reported: 


BIBLE   SCHOOLS  AS2 

"In  reference  to  the  Sunday-school  enterprise,  I  have  to  say 
that  there  is  Httle  interest  taken  in  it."  From  the  extant 
information,  it  is  a  fair  conclusion  that  only  from  one-third 
to  one-half  of  the  churches  of  Christ  in  Illinois  had  Sunday 
schools  at  that  time.  All  of  them  were  primitive  and  many 
suspended  during  the  winter. 

An  effort  was  made  to  convene  a  State  Assembly  in  the 
Sunday-school  interest  at  Macomb,  Feb.  19  and  20,  1868, 
but  the  attendance  was  more  local  than  general.  An  insti- 
tute was  held  there  November  11-13,  the  same  year.  The 
State  Missionary  Convention  met  there  in  1869  and  gave 
some  attention  to  Sunday-school  work;  so  also  did  the  con- 
vention in  Chicago  in  1870.  In  the  early  seventies,  Mr.  L. 
FI.  Dowling  served  as  Sunday-school  evangelist  for  a  time. 
The  State  Convention  held  in  Jacksonville  in  1873  resolved 
in  favor  of  a  State  Assembly  in  the  interest  of  Sunday 
schools,  to  convene  in  the  following  October.  It  appears 
that  this  meeting  did  not  convene  until  the  spring  of  1874, 
when  the  State  Sunday-school  Association  was  organized. 
Thereafter,  these  meetings  were  held  for  eleven  years  in  the 
month  of  May,  with  limited  and  somewhat  local  attendance. 
At  these  meetings,  primary  questions  were  considered  and 
interest  in  the  work  was  stimulated.  The  vState  Missionary 
Convention  at  Springfield,  Aug.  29,  1877,  declined  to  take 
t)ver  the  work  of  the  State  Sunday-school  Association ;  so 
it  convened  for  its  business  on  the  morning  of  the  30th.  Ira 
J.  Chase  was  president,  and  that  forenoon  addresses  were 
made  by  B.  J.  Radford,  N.  S.  Haynes  and  J.  Carroll  Stark, 
the  last  named  speaking  on  "How  to  Interest  Children  in 
Church  Services."  The  total  receipts  for  that  year  were  $75, 
and  the  expenditures  were  $35.  In  1882  the  question  of  a 
closer  relation  of  the  two  State  Assemblies  came  up  again, 
but  with  no  definite  results. 

In  the  early  eighties  a  meeting  of  the  executive  committee 
of  this  Association  convened  at  the  residence  of  N.  S. 
Haynes  in  Decatur.  Its  chairman,  Min.  J.  W.  Allen,  said 
that  its  object  was  to  inaugurate  aggressive  work  in  behalf 


454  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

of  the  Sunday  schools  in  the  State.  He  proposed  very 
earnestly  that  Mr.  Knox  P.  Taylor  be  recalled  from  Texas 
and  be  given  this  business.  This  was  done,  although  not  a 
dollar  for  his  support  was  in  sight  and  offerings  for  all 
general  Christian  activities  were  then  small.  For  about  two 
years  all  the  meetings  of  this  executive  committee  were  held 
in  the  same  place  where  it  first  met,  always  including  free 
entertainment.  The  return  of  Mr.  Taylor  to  the  State  was 
a  godsend.  No  man  has  ever  given  a  superior  service  to 
Illinois.  His  vocabulary  was  limited,  but  his  soul  was  large. 
His  sincerity  and  piety  left  imperishable  impressions  upon 
all  with  whom  he  associated.  Frequently  his  hosts  saw  him 
upon  his  knees  in  communion  with  his  Father.  He  taught 
people  by  eye-gate  and  ear-gate,  the  Bible  first,  then  methods 
of  school  work.  Having  come  through  denominationalism, 
he  had  much  sympathy  for  his  brethren  who  were  still 
enmeshed  therein.  He  believed  the  plain  truth,  and  taught 
it  as  though  all  who  heard  him  accepted  it.  Mr.  Taylor 
continued  in  the  active  service  of  the  Association  till  1900, 
and  thereafter  as  his  waning  strength  permitted. 

The  Association  generally  met  in  May.  The  following 
are  the  places  that  afforded  free  entertainment  to  its  mem- 
bers, the  years  and  additional  evangelists:  Sullivan,  1886, 
J.  Jones;  Decatur,  1887;  no  report  for  1888;  Jacksonville, 
1889.  Mr.  S.  W.  Leffing^vell  then  became  assistant  evan- 
gelist, but,  finding  his  need  of  a  better  knowledge  of  the 
Bible,  he  turned  himself  into  Eureka  College  for  a  year's 
study  under  the  lead  of  Prof.  F.  M.  Bruner.  Then  he  con- 
tmued  with  the  Association  till  1894.  Charleston,  1890,  J. 
M.  Morris  and  David  Husband;  Bloomington,  1891,  when 
the  four  evangelists  last  named  reported  sixty-one  additions 
to  the  churches:  Lawrenceville,  1892,  Mrs.  Sarah  C.  McCoy 
and  Charles  Ballard :  Olney,  1893,  G.  W.  Warner ;  Carthasre, 
1894;  Decatur,  1895,  Miss  Anna  M.  Hale:  Peoria,  1896, 
Miss  Hale:  Danville,  1897,  Miss  Hale;  Decatur,  1898; 
Eureka,  1899,  when  the  State  Sunday-school  Association 
ceased  to  be  and  its  work  was  properly  committed  to  the 


BIBLE   SCHOOLS  455 

State  Missionary  Society.  Under  its  direction,  Min.  A.  C. 
Roach  worked  from  1901-03.  He  organized  missions  at 
Bradford,  Cambridge,  Wyoming  and  Kewanee,  but  only  the 
last  named  of  the  four  infants  survived  and  grew  into  a 
church.  Min.  M.  McFarland  was  Bible-school  evangelist  in 
1905,  and  Min.  Marion  Stevenson  from  Sept.  1,  1905,  to 
Feb.  28,  1907.  Mr.  Stevenson  combined  a  fine  knowledge  of 
the  Scriptures  with  the  best  modern  Bible-school  methods ; 
hence  his  period  of  service  was  the  beginning  of  clearly 
defined  and  definite  aims  in  Bible  schools.  A  fruitful  har- 
vest continues  to  grow  from  his  wise  seed-sowing. 

Mr.  Clarence  L.  DePew  entered  this  work  Oct.  1,  1907, 
and  continues  therein.  His  aim  has  been  to  bring  the  schools 
up  to  the  best  national  ideals,  first  in  grading  them,  and, 
second,  in  making  them  "Front  Rank." 

Graded  schools  have  the  following  classification:  First, 
the  family,  which  includes  (1)  the  Home  Departm.ent,  who 
are  non-attendants,  and  (2)  the  Cradle  Roll,  which  includes 
infants,  from  birth  to  three  years. 

Second,  Elementary,  including  (I)  Beginners,  four  and 
five  years;  (2)  Primary,  six  to  eight  years;  (3)  Juniors, 
nine  to  twelve  years. 

Third,  Secondary:  (1)  Intermediate,  from  thirteen  to 
sixteen  years,  and  (2)  Seniors,  from  seventeen  to  twenty 
years. 

Fourth,  Adult,  all  over  twenty  years  of  age. 

A  Front  Rank  school  aims  and  tries  to  conform  to  the 
following  standard: 

1.  Workers'  conference  at  least  monthly,  using  a  prepared 
program  and  library. 

2.  Teacher-training  class. 

3.  Graded  school,  using  graded  lessons. 

4.  Bibles  owned  generally  and  used  in  the  school. 

5.  Organized  classes.  All  secondary  and  adult  classes 
holding  International  certificates. 

6.  Service,  which  includes  (1)  definite  instruction  on 
temperance,   (2)    evangelistic  or  direct  efiforts    to    lead    the 


456  HISTORY    OF   THE    DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

members  of  the  school  to  become  Christians,  and  (3)  mis- 
sionary education  and  offerings. 

In  1911  there  were  169  Front  Rank  schools,  of  which 
sixty-five  had  reached  all  the  requirements  and  were  awarded 
the  seals  and  pennant.  These  numbers  grew  steadily,  so  that 
in  July,  1913,  there  were  202  in  the  Front  Rank,  of  which 
eighty-two  had  reached  all  the  requirements. 

In  1913  there  were  in  all  the  Bible  schools  of  Illinois 
forty-three  hundred  organized  adult  classes,  of  which  twelve 
hundred  belonged  to  the  Disciples.  In  the  teen  age  they 
then  had  eighty-six  organized  classes.  For  several  years 
they  have  had  more  than  four  times  as  many  students  and 
graduates  in  teacher-training  than  were  enlisted  in  all  other 
schools  in  the  State  combined.  For  the  year  closing  July, 
1913,  they  had  1,048  out  of  a  total  of  1,360  in  teacher-train- 
ing classes  in  Illinois. 

In  sixty  years  the  Disciples  have  come  from  the  foot  to 
the  head  of  the  evangelistic  class  in  the  appreciation  of  and 
efficiency  in  the  Bible  school — one  of  the  greatest  agencies 
for  the  salvation  of  the  world. 

In  1907  there  were  223  that  contributed  $1,293  to  the 
National  Benevolent  Association.  To  the  same  cause,  246 
schools  in  1913  contributed  $3,195. 

There  were  627  schools  reported  in  1913,  with  an  aggre- 
gate membership  of  81,576. 

Section   3. 

Christian  Endeavor. 

The  Endeavor  movement  was  begun  in  February,  1881. 
A  few  years  thereafter  many  young  people  in  the  churches 
of  Christ  in  Illinois  organized  themselves  into  these  societies. 
They  were  classified  into  Senior,  Intermediate  and  Junior. 
These  grew  steadily.  The  first  years  were  filled  with  the 
enthusiasm  of  youth,  and  in  a  measure  the  movement  became 
interdenominational.  Among  the  Disciples  in  Illinois  the 
high  tide  was  reached  in  1897,  when  they  had,  of  the  three 


CHRISTIAN    ENDEAVOR  45? 

classes,  577  societies,  with  an  aggregate  membership  of  ten 
thousand  or  more.  During  the  later  period  of  the  Eureka 
Encampment,  which  ran  from  1885  to  1899,  the  young 
people  occupied  a  Saturday  with  very  profitable  programs. 
Up  to  that  time,  the  sphere  of  the  Christian  Endeavor  had 
not  been  clearly  defined;  so  there  was  a  tendency  to  make 
a  church  within  the  church.  Local  church  officers,  instead 
of  helping  and  directing,  generally  held  themselves  aloof, 
while  missionary  secretaries  actively  encouraged  separate  and 
special  contributions.  The  State  Endeavor  Society  had  a 
complement  of  officers.  For  the  young  people  all  this  had 
an  educational  value.  When  the  tide  of  enthusiasm  reached 
its  crest  it  at  once  began  to  recede.  By  1905  it  was  decided 
that  so  many  State  officers  were  not  needed ;  hence  they  gave 
place  to  a  superintendent.  Min.  H.  H.  Peters  gave  gratu- 
itous but  efficient  service  in  this  position  for  four  years, 
resigning  in  1910.  Later,  State  Endeavor  was  incorporated 
in  the  work  of  the  State  Missionary  Society.  In  1913  there 
were  284  societies  reported,  with  an  aggregate  membership 
of  9,571. 

The  Endeavor  work  has  been  helpful  to  the  Disciples  of 
Christ  in  Illinois.  1.  It  has  taught  many  young  people  to 
take  active  parts  in  public  worship  and  continues  to  train 
others  for  service.  2.  To  many  of  them  it  has  opened  the 
window  of  world-wide  missions  and  they  have  seen  some- 
thing of  human  needs.  Their  support  of  mission  places  in 
the  State  was  most  commendable.  3.  It  has  cultivated  the 
spirit  of  fraternity  and  co-operation  among  the  young  people 
of  the  various  communions  and  has  promoted  the  idea  of 
Christian  union.  4.  The  failure  of  some  local  societies  in 
their  virility  or  their  lives  has  been  due  not  so  much  to  their 
unwillingness  to  serve,  as  a  lack  of  practical  encouragement 
by  church  officers.  Very  rarely  has  an  Endeavor  society 
risen  above  the  spiritual  level  of  the  church  of  which  it  is 
a  part.  Its  present  need  is  the  active  and  practical  encourage- 
ment by  the  spiritual  officers  of  the  churches. 


458         HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Section   4. 
The  Brotherhood. 

The  organization  of  the  Brotherhood  among  the  Disciples 
of  Christ  was  made  during  the  National  Missionary  Conven- 
tion at  New  Orleans,  La.,  in  1908.  Mr.  R.  A.  Long,  of 
Kansas  City,  Mo.,  was  the  first  president,  and  through  his 
ability  as  an  organizer  and  his  financial  liberality,  the  move- 
ment was  given  wide  publicity  and  made  good  progress. 

The  organization  in  Illinois  was  effected  at  the  State  Mis- 
sionary Convention  at  Eureka  in  1909.  Toller  Swift  served 
the  first  two  years  as  president,  and  was  followed  by  Min. 
J.  A.  Barnett  to  the  present  time. 

The  Brotherhood  aims  to  promote  general  church  inter- 
ests. It  seeks  to  train  the  men  of  the  churches  for  greater 
and  more  effective  service.  It  encourages  Bible  study  and 
the  organization  of  men  into  large  Bible-study  classes.  A 
number  of  young  men  have  already  been  led  into  the  Chris- 
tian ministry  through  the  observance  of  Men's  and  Boys' 
Day  by  the  churches.  The  men  have  become  more  generally 
interested  in  missions,  benevolences  and  educational  institu- 
tions. Many  students  have  been  induced  to  attend  the  col- 
leges of  the  Christian  Church  through  this  agency.  Investi- 
gation of  these  educational  institutions  and  a  report  on  their 
equipment  and  needs  has  been  made  by  the  National  Broth- 
erhood. A  helpful  service  has  been  afforded  in  the  large 
number  of  conferences  conducted  upon  men's  work  in  the 
churches.  It  affords  a  common  platform,  program  and 
ao:ency  for  the  co-operation  of  all  benevolent  activities. 
These  aims  are  commendable,  but  too  general  to  insure  the 
continuance  of  this  Brotherhood  in  Illinois.  When  they 
determine  to  build  up  and  sustain  a  representative  Christian 
college,  they  will  have  an  object  worthy  of  their  splendid 
abilities. 

The  work  of  the  Brotherhood,  local  and  general,  is  wisely 
and  well  directed  by  the  secretary  of  the  National  Society, 
Mr.  E.  E.  Elliott,  Kansas  City,  Mo.    According  to  his  annual 


MINISTERIAL   ASSOCIATIONS  459 

report  in  1913,  there  were  933  local  Brotherhoods  affiliated 
with  the  national  organization,  of  which  over  two  hundred 
were  in  Illinois. 

Section    5. 

Ministerial  Associations. 

There  had  been  meetings  of  ministers  of  the  Christian 
Church  in  Illinois  previous  to  1873,  with  varying  aims.  On 
July  14  of  that  year  fifteen  preachers  from  the  central  part 
of  the  State  assembled  in  Springfield.  This  meeting  was  in 
response  to  a  call  signed  by  H.  W.  Everest,  Thomas  Mun- 
nell,  and  J.  W.  and  J.  B.  Allen.  Mr.  Everest  was  then 
pastor  of  the  Springfield  Church.  He  stated  that  the  object 
of  the  meeting  was,  if  thought  best,  to  form  a  Ministerial 
Union,  the  aim  and  work  of  which  should  be  to  place  the 
State  missionary  work  upon  a  better  footing,  and  especially 
to  devise  some  ways  by  which  the  weak  and  languishing 
churches  could  be  helped. 

This  Ministerial  Association  was  formed  the  next  day 
with  A.  J.  Kane,  president ;  H.  W.  Everest,  vice-president, 
and  N.  S.  Haynes,  secretary.  Nine  of  the  preachers  present 
pledged  $500  to  begin  the  work,  which  was  to  be  done  under 
the  direction  of  the  State  Missionary  Society.  The  Minis- 
terial Association  of  Central  Illinois  grew  in  numbers  and 
did  very  efficient  service  for  a  period  of  six  years.  Its  sec- 
ond meeting  was  held  in  Jacksonville,  in  ^Tay,  1875 ;  the 
third  at  Peoria,  in  May,  1876;  the  fourth  at  Normal,  in  May, 
1877. 

There  was  a  special  meeting  of  this  Association  at 
Springfield  in  August,  1877,  when  it  was  decided  to  make  the 
aims  and  work  of  the  Association  more  directly  ministerial 
than  they  had  hitherto  been.  In  1878  the  Association  met 
in  August  at  Eureka,  in  1879  at  Princeton,  and  in  1880  at 
Bloomington,  which  was  the  last. 

In  the  spring  of  1882  the  Central  Illinois  Ministerial 
Institute  was  oro-anized,  and  has  continued  to  the  present 
time  with  very  helpful  annual  meetings. 


460  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

About  the  same  year  the  Ministerial  Institute  of  the 
MiHtary  Tract  was  formed.  At  one  of  its  annual  meetings 
there  were  present  ninety-three  preachers  and  elders.  Unfor- 
tunately, it  was  permitted  to  die  years  ago. 

The  Ministerial  Institute  of  Southern  Illinois  was  formed 
in  the  nineties  and  continues  to  this  time. 

These  institutes  should  become  fixed  spiritual  feasts  for 
the  Christian  ministers  of  the  State. 

The  Chicago   Christian  Ministerial  Association. 

This  Association  was  organized  about  1894.  It  has  met 
weekly  from  September  to  June.  Its  membership  includes 
the  pastors  of  the  churches  of  Christ  in  Chicago  and  its 
environs,  including  Harvey  on  the  south,  Evanston  on  the 
north  and  Maywood  on  the  west,  with  teachers  and  resident 
students  of  the  Disciples'  Divinity  House.  Two  of  the  pas- 
tors serve  on  the  board  of  the  Chicago  Christian  Missionary 
Society,  all  of  the  pastors  in  its  quarterly  rallies  and  city 
mission  work,  and,  with  other  representatives  of  the  several 
congregations,  these  pastors  serve  in  the  annual  city  mission 
business  session.  Its  members  are  also  affiliated  with  the 
organized  union  for  civic  reform  work  in  the  city,  including 
the  Law  and  Order,  Young  People's  Civic  and  Anti-Saloon 
Leagues ;  also  with  the  Laymen's  Evangelistic  Movement  and 
Laymen's  Missionary  Council.  Min.  O.  F.  Jordan,  secretary 
of  this  Ministers'  Association,  co-operates  with  the  Feder- 
ated Council  of  Churches.  Herbert  L.  Willett  represented 
the  Association  on  the  Chicago  Vice  Investigation  Committee. 
Its  members  also  co-operate  in  the  quarterly  C.  W.  B.  M. 
meetings,  and  some  are  active  in  the  IMen  and  Millions  cam- 
paign. 


R.   E.   HENRY. 
S.   H.  ZENDT. 


R.   F.  THRAPP. 
Committee. 


J.   R.   GOLDEN. 


E.   M.  SMITH. 


CHAPTER  VIL 
BIOGRAPHIES. 

George  F,  Adams. 

Born  in  Elizaville,  Ky.    Died  in  1884,  at  Blandinsville,  111. 

Educated  in  the  schools  of  his  native  village  and  the 
Bible  College  of  Kentucky  University.  He  came  to  Illinois 
about  1870.  Held  several  pastorates,  for  which  work  he  was 
not  well  fitted,  but  in  the  evangelistic  field  he  was  an 
unusually  brilliant  and  successful  preacher.  Many  were  well 
taught  and  brought  into  the  church  through  his  ministry. 
His  early  death  came  by  an  accidental  gunshot  wound. 

/.  Buford  Allen. 

Fleming  County,  Ky.,  1847.         1902,  Spokane,  Wash. 

Was  the  youngest  of  three  brothers  who  served  in  the 
Christian  ministry — Dr.  J.  M.  and  J.  W.  Allen  being  the 
other  two.  Was  educated  in  the  public  schools  at  Blooming- 
ton  and  at  Eureka  College.  He  began  the  study  of  law  with 
Judge  W.  E.  Nelson,  of  Decatur,  but  soon  decided  to  enter 
the  ministry.  Besides  other  congregations  in  Illinois,  he 
served  the  First  Church  in  Springfield  for  a  period  of  seven 
years.  His  health  failing,  he  moved  to  Hutchinson,  Kan., 
and  later  to  Spokane,  Wash. 

Mr.  Allen  was  a  clear  and  vigorous  thinker,  a  sincere  and 
frank  man  and  an  efficient  preacher. 

John  W.  Allen. 

Kentucky,   1843. 

Mr.  Allen  was  a  native  of  Fleming  County,  Ky.  He  was 
well  born  and  has  always  been  a  fine  type  of  a  Christian 
gentleman.     After  three  years'  service  in  the  Federal  Army, 

461 


462  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

during  which  time  he  "did  duty"  at  Donaldson,  Shiloh  and 
Vicksburg,  he  graduated  at  Eureka  in  1867.  He  ministered 
to  the  church  at  Grayville,  111.;  served  as  State  evangelist 
for  one  and  one-half  years;  was  pastor  at  Shelbyville  and 
Jacksonville,  and  the  following  sixteen  years  in  Chicago,  two 
years  with  the  South  Side  Christian  Church,  two  years  with 
the  First,  now  a  part  of  the  iMemorial,  and  twelve  years  with 
the  Westside,  now  the  Jackson  Boulevard  Church.  That 
was  the  period  in  which  the  Disciples  in  the  commercial 
metropolis  were  coming  out  of  religious  contention,  chaos 
and  confusion  into  sympathetic  activities  and  orderly  co-op- 
eration. It  was  a  time  of  stress  and  storm,  and  Mr.  Allen 
put  into  it  virile  years  of  his  splendid  life.  To  no  one  man 
is  our  cause  in  Chicago  more  indebted  for  a  saner  spirit  and 
better  vision  than  to  him.  His  ministry  has  always  been 
Scriptural,  unselfish,  forceful,  sympathetic  and  constructive. 
Since  1895  his  work  has  been  in  Spokane,  Wash. 

William  G.  Anderson. 

Jeflferson  County,  Ind.,  1818.  1908,  Colfax,  111. 

Came  to  McLean  County  in  1855.  In  1858  he  settled  on 
a  farm  of  350  acres  on  the  upper  Mackinaw.  When  the 
railroad  was  built,  the  town  of  Colfax  was  located  on  part 
of  his  land.  This,  with  the  underlying  coal,  placed  him  in 
good  pecuniary  circumstances.  Mr.  Anderson  received  a 
limited  education,  but  he  had  fine  common  sense  and  was 
devoted  to  duty.  He  preached  much  in  the  pioneer  days, 
served  as  field  solicitor  for  Eureka  College  five  years,  and 
was  a  public-spirited,  progressive  and  aggressive  citizen. 

John  Clinton  Ashley. 

On  Atlantic  Ocean,  1800.  1850,  Walnut  Hill,  111.  ^ 

He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  preachers  of  the  Restoration 
movement  and  a  coworker  with  A.  Campbell.  He  was  on  a 
missionary  tour  from  Ohio  into  Illinois  when  he  sickened 
and  died.     His  body  was  buried  at  Walnut  Hill. 


BIOGRAPHIES  463 

Dr.  John  Kossuth  Ashley. 

Portsmouth,  O.,  1824.  1905,  Cisne,  111. 

A  son  of  the  former.  Having  graduated  in  medicine 
from  the  Ohio  State  University  at  Athens,  he  practiced  his 
profession  in  that  State  for  ten  years.  He  came  to  Wayne 
County  in  1856,  and  continued  his  work  there  till  the  close 
of  his  life.  He  was  an  intelligent,  broad-minded  and  useful 
Christian  man. 

The  Ashley  family  was  interesting  and  distinguished. 
John  M.  represented  Toledo  (O.)  district  in  Congress  for 
a  long  term  of  years,  and  was  a  trusted  adviser  of  President 
Lincoln  in  the  dark  days  of  war.  Later,  he  was  appointed 
territorial  governor  of  Montana  by  President  Grant.  E.  M. 
Ashley  was  engaged  in  the  department  of  public  surveys  for 
a  long  period.  During  this  time  he  entered  the  land  on 
which  the  city  of  Denver,  Colo.,  now  stands. 

Mrs.  Alice  Porter,  of  Albion,  is  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Ashley. 

Aaron  Prince  Aten. 

Near  Eaton,  O.,  1839. 

Mr.  Aten  came  to  Illinois  in  1849,  where  he  grew  up  on 
a  farm.  Educated  at  Rochester  Seminary  and  Abingdon 
College.  Received  the  A.B.  and  A.M.  degrees,  and  later 
the  LL.D.  degree  from  another  institution.  He  was  ordained 
to  the  Christian  ministry  in  1860  and  has  preached  continu- 
ously since.  With  his  ministerial  service  he  has  united  edu- 
cational work  through  many  years.  He  was  pastor  of  the 
churches  at  Rochester  and  La  Fayette  and  Abingdon,  mean- 
while serving  as  principal  of  Rochester  Seminary  and  eight 
years  as  professor  of  belles  lettres  in  Abingdon  College. 
From  1861-65  he  was  recording  secretary  of  the  T.  C.  M.  S. 
and  a  member  of  its  board  of  managers.  In  1864  he  was 
the  evangelist  of  the  society  in  the  old  Tenth  District.  In 
1876,  Mr.  Aten  left  Illinois.  Since  then  he  has  been  busy 
in  his  twofold  service  in  Texas,  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  Kan- 
sas and  Oklahoma.     In  1913  he  was  pastor  of  the  Southside 


464  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Christian  Church  in  Oklahoma  City.     Besides,  he  has  done 
considerable  editorial  and  literary  work. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  Mr.  Aten  has  been  a  very 
active  man,  but  his  good  habits  have  helped  to  wide  and 
varied  usefulness  and  continued  efficiency. 

Elias  Ayles. 

Was  born  in  Washington  County,  O.,  183L  He  became 
a  Christian  in  1863  and  began  preaching  at  once.  He  was 
also  a  railway  engineer.  Loss  of  hearing  came  with  advanc- 
ing years,  so  that  he  was  compelled  to  cease  work.  He  is  a 
man  of  fine  character  whose  life  has  been  filled  with  good 
works.     He  resides  at  Fairfield. 

Mrs.  Clara  Celestia  Hale-Babcock. 

Fitchville,  O.,   1850. 

Her  father  was  a  Methodist  preacher  of  the  most  rigid 
t3'pe.  The  daughter  was  zealous  in  her  religious  life  and  was 
quite  content  with  the  teachings  of  her  church.  She  was 
past  her  twenty-fifth  natal  day  before  she  ever  heard  a  ser- 
mon from  any  other  class  of  preachers.  Curiosity  led  her  to 
attend  church  one  evening  in  Sterling,  111.,  when  Evangelist 
Geo.  F.  Adams  was  conducting  a  series  of  meetings  there. 
As  she  passed  out,  Mr.  Adams  said  to  her:  "I  hope  you 
enjoyed  the  services."  She  made  no  reply.  He  repeated 
the  inquiry.  She  answered:  *1  can't  say  that  I  did."  He 
asked  her  what  there  was  in  the  meeting  that  she  did  not 
approve.  Several  persons  had  publicly  confessed  their  faith 
in  Christ.  Waving  her  hand,  she  said:  *'Is  that  all  there  is 
in  it?  Dare  you  make  it  so  easy  to  get  into  Christ?"  He 
answered:  "You  must  be  accustomed  to  the  use  of  the 
mourners*  bench."  "Surely  I  am,"  she  replied.  He  said: 
"You  are  the  very  woman  I  have  been  looking  for.  If  you 
will  bring  me  a  Scriptural  authority  for  it,  chapter  and  verse, 
I  will  install  it  to-morrow  night."  She  said,  "I  will,"  and 
passed  on,  Mr.  Adams  remarking,  "You  know  there  are  no 
records  of  conversions  outside  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 


A    D.  NORTHCUTT.  JOSEPH  HOSTETLER. 

MRS.   C.  C.   BABCOCK. 


N.  S.    HAYNES. 


WILLIAM  B.  RYAN. 


BIOGRAPHIES  465 

so  it  must  be  there."  Mrs.  Babcock  did  not  sleep  that  night 
till  she  had  read  the  Book  of  Acts.  Not  finding  what  she 
read  for,  in  the  morning  she  visited  her  pastor  and  asked 
him  where  she  could  find  in  God's  word  authority  for  the 
altar.  He  answered:  "Where  have  you  been?  Have  you 
been  listening  to  that  Campbellite  exhorter  over  the  river?" 
She  said  "Yes."  Then  he  said:  "He  will  lead  you  to  the 
devil,  for  they  are  not  orthodox.  They  don't  believe  in  the 
Holy  Spirit  or  in  prayer."  She  replied  that  she  had  not  gone 
from  choice,  "but  you  have  not  answered  my  question." 
After  some  other  such  conversation,  the  pastor  said  that  the 
altar  for  those  trying  to  come  to  Christ  was  not  commanded, 
but  the  church  teaches  it  as  a  good  method.  Then  she  asked: 
"How  much  does  the  church  teach  that  is  not  in  the  Bible? 
If  you  have  one  human  plan,  how  shall  we  know  the  divine 
plan?  It  weakens  my  faith."  A  few  evenings  later  Mr. 
Babcock  persuaded  his  wife  to  hear  Mr.  Adams  again.  On 
that  occasion  she  witnessed  Scriptural  baptism  for  the  first 
time,  and  the  sermon  was  on  baptism.  Passing  out,  Mr. 
Adams  asked  her  about  the  Scripture  for  the  use  of  the 
mourners'  bench.  She  replied  frankly:  "It  is  not  there  and 
we  have  no  right  to  use  it."  He  inquired:  "Have  you  been 
baptized?"  "Not  according  to  that  form,"  she  answered. 
"AVill  you  not  obey  Christ  in  the  Bible  way?"  he  asked. 
She  went  home  sad  and  thoughtful.  The  next  morning  she 
w^ent  to  see  her  pastor,  who  prayed  with  her  and  scolded 
her.  "Will  you  immerse  me?"  she  asked.  "No,  no;  you 
have  been  baptized  according  to  your  father's  faith  and  the 
church's  teaching,"  he  answered.  She  said:  "What  does  the 
Bible  teach?  You  must  show  me  where  the  Scripture  com- 
mands sprinkling  or  I  shall  go  down  into  the  water  like  my 
Saviour."  A  week  later,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Babcock  were  bap- 
tized by  Mr.  Adams.  With  Bible  in  hand,  she  went  from 
door  to  door  of  her  friends,  many  of  whom  turned  to  the 
Lord.  She  did  not  formally  unite  with  the  Sterling  Church 
until  she  first  measured  its  teachings  and  practices  by  the 
word  of  God.     Later,  she  went  out  into  the  service  of  the  W. 


466  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

C.  T.  U.  in  Illinois.  Being  in  Erie  on  a  Sunday,  she  was 
induced  to  speak  to  the  Christian  congregation  in  the  fore- 
noon. The  presence  and  approval  of  God  were  so  manifest 
that  she  was  led  to  continue  in  the  service  of  that  congre- 
gation. Later,  after  wise  counsel  and  mature  deliberation, 
she  was  ordained  to  the  Christian  ministry  in  1888.  Her 
work  proved  a  great  blessing  to  the  church  in  that  part  of 
the  State.  She  proved  herself  both  a  good  evangelist  and 
pastor.  She  has  conducted  twenty-eight  fruitful  meetings 
and  has  made  about  fourteen  hundred  converts,  one  thou- 
sand of  whom  she  baptized  with  her  own  hand.  The  little 
church  of  Erie  she  served  altogether  fifteen  years.  In  that 
community  she  preached  172  funeral  sermons.  She  w^as  the 
first  woman  in  Illinois  to  enter  the  Christian  ministry.  In 
all  this  splendid  service  she  had  the  cordial  moral  support 
of  her  husband.  After  twenty-five  years  of  this  work,  she 
has  retired  to  the  quiet  of  a  Canadian  farm  home. 

George  E.  Bacon. 

Madison,  Ind.,  1851.  1896,  Aurora,  111. 

Came  with  his  parents  to  Kansas,  111.,  in  1854.  His  mis- 
chievous disposition  in  boyhood  was  irrepressible.  Coming 
to  maturity,  he  entered  the  ministry,  but  soon  decided  that 
he  was  unwilling  to  make  the  full  surrender  that  its  obliga- 
tions impose.  He  became  a  lawyer  and  State's  attorney  of 
Edgar  County.  In  1886  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate 
and  returned  in  1890,  serving  eight  years.  He  was  a  fluent 
and  brilliant  orator.  In  the  formal  eulogies  pronounced  by 
representatives  of  the  General  Assembly  upon  John  A. 
Logan,  Mr.  Bacon's  far  surpassed  all  others. 

Col.  Edzvard  D.  Baker. 

London,  England,  1811.  1861,  Ball's  Bluff  (Va.)  Bat- 
tlefield. 

At  the  age  of  four  years  this  boy  was  brought  to  Phila- 
delphia, and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  was  teaching  school. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Carrollton,  111.,  in  1830;  the 


BIOGRAPHIES  467 

next  year  married  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Lee,  and  in  1832  partici- 
pated actively  in  the  Black  Hawk  War. 

It  was  shortly  after  his  marriage  that  he  was  immersed 
and  became  a  member  of  the  church  in  Carrollton.  It  is 
not  probable  that  he  was  formally  set  apart  to  the  Christian 
ministry,  but  his  ardent  disposition,  superior  ability  as  a 
public  speaker  and  his  sincere  devotion  to  the  pure  gospel 
led  him  to  its  public  proclamation  for  near  a  decade.  He 
also  baptized  some  converts.  Alin.  W.  H.  Cannon,  pastor 
of  the  Central  Church,  Decatur,  says  that  his  own  grand- 
father, Hardin  Goodin,  wdiom  he  knew  well,  was  immersed 
by  Mr.  Baker  in  Honey  Creek,  Pike  County.  Nor  was  this 
an  exceptional  instance.  He  was  also  associated  with  those 
Disciples  in  the  early  thirties  at  Jacksonville  in  their  first 
efforts  looking  toward  co-operative  missionary  work. 

In  1835  he  moved  to  Springfield.  There  he  met  and 
became  the  sincere  and  lifelong  friend  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 
Two  such  magnificent  and  magnanimous  souls  could  easily 
understand  and  love  each  other.  This  friendship  proved  of 
incalculable  value  to  the  Federal  Union  in  the  black  night  of 
bloody  horrors  in  which  both  suns  went  down. 

In  1837,  Mr.  Baker  was  elected  to  the  House  in  the 
Legislature  and  in  1840  to  the  Senate.  In  1844  he  beat  Mr. 
Lincoln  for  the  nomination  for  Congress  on  the  Whig  ticket, 
and  was  elected.  But  Mr.  Lincoln's  feelings  were  reflected 
in  the  fact  that  a  baby  boy  who  came  into  his  home  in  1846 
was  named  Edward  Baker  Lincoln.  While  representing  the 
Springfield  district  in  Congress,  Mr.  Baker  raised  a  regi- 
ment of  infantry  and  saw  active  service  as  its  colonel  in  the 
Mexican  War.  Meanwhile,  his  official  duties  calling  him  to 
Washington,  he  addressed  the  House  of  Representatives 
wearing  his  military  uniform.  In  1848,  Colonel  Baker, 
rather  than  contest  a  second  time  with  Mr.  Lincoln  the  nomi- 
nation for  Congress,  moved  to  Galena.  There  he  was  nomi- 
nated on  the  Whig  ticket,  and  elected.  Mr.  Lincoln  was 
returned  from  the  Springfield  district.  In  1851,  Colonel 
Baker  was  engaged  in  superintending  the  construction  of  the 


468  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Panama  Railroad.  In  1852  he  moved  to  California.  In  San 
Francisco  he  quickly  took  a  leading  place  at  the  bar,  and  for 
eight  years  was  one  of  the  representative  and  most  influ- 
ential citizens  of  the  State. 

Upon  the  urgent  invitation  of  friends  he  was  induced  to 
move  to  Salem,  Ore.,  in  February,  1860.  Such  was  his 
fidelity  to  principle,  his  commanding  ability,  his  matchless 
eloquence  and  urbanity,  that  he  was  elected  to  the  United 
States  Senate  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Oregon  Legislature. 

In  1912,  Mr.  E.  R.  Kennedy  published  a  volume  entitled 
'The  Contest  for  California  in  1861,"  in  which  he  clearly 
shows  that  it  was  chiefly  through  the  statesmanship  of 
Colonel  Baker  that  the  Pacific  Coast  was  then  saved  to  the 
Union.  The  book  is  charmingly  written  and  is  a  distinct  con- 
tribution to  American  history. 

With  the  coming  of  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Baker  was  busy 
in  the  United  States  Senate.  However,  he  raised  a  regiment 
in  New  York  and  Philadelphia  of  sixteen  hundred  men  and 
was  commissioned  to  command  the  brigade  to  which  it 
belonged.  It  was  encamped  near  the  Capital.  On  August  1, 
1861,  members  of  the  Senate  hastily  summoned  Colonel  and 
Senator  Baker  to  the  chamber  to  reply  to  a  speech,  to  be 
delivered  there  that  day  by  Senator  Breckenridge,  of  Ken- 
tucky. He  came  in,  laid  his  sword  upon  his  desk,  and  sat 
down  to  listen.  His  reply  is  classed  among  the  great  ora- 
tions of  the  world.  James  G.  Blaine  says  that  its  delivery 
was  the  most  extraordinary  of  any  occurrence  that  ever 
transpired  in  the  Senate  chamber. 

October  21,  having  stood  at  the  head  of  his  brigade  for 
hours  against  great  odds,  he  was  struck  by  four  or  five  rifle- 
balls  almost  simultaneously  and  fell  in  death — *'as  gentle  and 
pure  and  unselfish  and  generous  and  eloquent  and  valiant  a 
man  as  ever  cheerfully  gave  his  life  for  a  noble  cause." 
Mrs.  Judith  Bradner,  a  charter  member  of  the  First  Church 
in  Bloomington,  passed  on  in  1912  at  the  age  of  ninety-eight 
years.  She  at  one  time  entertained  at  dinner  in  her  home 
Stephen   A.   Douglas,    Abraham    Lincoln    and    Edward    D. 


BIOGRAPHIES  469 

Baker.  She  described  Mr.  Baker  as  a  most  attractive  per- 
sonality, a  fine  conversationalist  and  an  engaging  presence, 
at  once  commanding  and  kindly.  A  marble  statue  inscribed 
"Baker"  stands  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  nation's  Capitol. 

Dr.  J.  W.  Ballinger. 

Emmerson,  Mo.,  1837.  1879,  Niantic,  111. 

Most  of  the  life  of  Mr.  Ballinger  was  passed  in  the  State 
of  his  birth.  In  the  five  closing  years  of  his  life,  which  were 
devoted  to  the  Niantic  community,  he  gripped  the  people  as 
few  men  can.  In  the  places  of  his  residence  he  served  as 
elder,  teacher,  physician  and  minister.  He  was  careful  to 
remember  the  poor,  but  held  continuously  the  good  will  of 
all  classes.  He  was  one  of  the  truest  friends  of  humanity 
and  the  noblest  pattern  of  manhood. 

N.  S.  Bastian. 

Was  of  Holland  descent  and  a  native  of  New  York  State. 
He  received  a  liberal  education,  and  throughout  his  life  was 
esteemed  both  for  his  learning  and  culture. 

He  became  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church  in  early  Hfe, 
and  shortly  thereafter  entered  the  Christian  ministry.  In 
1843  this  church  wished  to  send  a  missionary  to  one  of  the 
districts  of  the  West  African  coast.  Mr.  Bastian  was  asked 
to  go.  After  consideration,  he  answered:  "Christ  died  for 
me.  I  will  go."  His  first  child  was  born  there.  The  native 
chiefs  came  from  far  to  see  a  white  baby  and  make  it  a 
present.  The  child  lived  only  a  few  months.  After  a  time, 
Mr.  Bastian  was  sent  to  Europe  on  business  connected  with 
the  African  mission.  He  left  his  wife  there  and  set  sail. 
On  his  voyage,  one  evening  just  after  he  had  retired  to  bed 
and  before  he  had  closed  his  eyes,  apparently  his  wife  stood 
before  him.  Ere  he  could  address  her,  she  vanished.  When 
he  landed  in  Europe  he  met  orders  from  his  Mission  Board 
to  return  to  America.  Landing  in  New  York,  he  was  met 
bv  a  member  of  the  Board,  to  whom  he  said,  "Have  you 
heard  from  Africa?"     The  reply  was,  "Yes,     And  Sarah  is 


470         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

dead."  This  was  Mr.  Bastian's  wife.  On  comparing  the 
day  and  the  hour,  he  found  that  his  wife  had  gone  to  be  at 
home  with  her  Lord  at  the  moment  when  he  saw  her  appear- 
ance to  him  on  shipboard. 

Mr.  Bastian's  studies  of  the  New  Testament  had  unsettled 
his  thoughts  on  the  subject  of  Christian  baptism.  Finding 
himself  more  in  harmony  with  the  Baptist  than  with  the 
Methodist  Church,  he  peaceably  changed  his  ecclesiastical 
affiliation.  Coming  West,  he  soon  fell  in  with  the  Disciples. 
He  was  at  once  attracted  and  charmed  by  the  Scripturalness 
of  their  preaching  and  the  simplicity  of  their  plea;  hence, 
he  was  not  long  in  casting  in  his  lot  with  the  people  whose 
teaching  and  practice  were  so  fully  in  accord  with  his  own 
conclusions.  Some  of  his  Methodist  brethren  said  that  the 
fact  of  his  "joining  the  Campbellites"  was  proof  that  *'he 
was  rattled ;"  whereas,  his  thoughts  and  aims  were  only  mov- 
ing in  wider  orbits. 

His  sacred  dust  and  that  of  his  second  wife — a  Christian 
woman  ot  the  highest  type — repose  in  unmarked  graves  at 
Sullivan,  111.  Nor  is  a  memorial  window  there  in  the  house 
of  God  for  these,  his  faithful  servants. 

Archibald  T.  Benson. 

Tennessee,  1818.  1894,  Marion,  111. 

Came  to  Williamson  County  when  a  young  man,  and 
shortly  thereafter  became  a  Christian  and  a  preacher.  His 
ministry  reached  out  to  many  places  in  that  part  of  the 
State.  In  the  years  of  his  active  service,  he  baptized  more 
converts,  married  more  couples  and  conducted  more  funerals 
than  any  preacher  in  the  county.  He  served  as  chaplain  of 
the  128th  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry  during  the  Civil  War. 
He  was  noted  for  his  hospitality  and  many  good  works. 

Charles  J.  and  Thomas  V.  Berry. 

St.  Andrews,  New  Brunswick.  1871,  Lincoln,  TIL 

St.  Andrews,  New  Brunswick,  1822.    1882,  Creston,  la. 
Charles  J.  came  to  Boston  when  in  his  teens,  and  for  a 


BIOGRAPHIES  471 

period  was  a  member  of  the  Tremont  Temple  Free  Will 
Baptist  Church.  His  moral  convictions  were  strong,  and  his 
opposition  to  slavery  and  all  secret  societies  became  so  radical 
that,  as  his  pastor,  Nathaniel  Colver,  put  it,  "Charles  com- 
pelled the  church  to  dis fellowship  him."  Meanwhile,  by  the. 
aid  of  the  Millennial  Harbinger,  he  came  to  a  knowledge  of 
the  Restoration  movement.  Whereupon,  he  helped  his 
brother  Thomas  in  the  formation  of  a  church  of  Christ  and 
instituted  worship  on  the  Lord's  Days  after  the  apostolic 
example.  In  1855  he  succeeded  James  Darsie  as  pastor  of 
the  church  at  Connersville,  Pa.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1859, 
and  resided  at  Princeton,  Abingdon  and  Lincoln,  at  which 
places,  or  in  the  surrounding  sections,  he  labored  assiduously 
in  the  gospel  till  his  death,  which  came  by  tuberculosis. 

Thomas  V.  also  came  to  Boston  in  his  teens,  and  there 
learned  the  trade  of  a  piano-maker.  In  1845  he  learned  the 
gospel  from  a  Mr.  Dungan,  of  Baltimore,  who  had  gone  to 
Boston  to  buy  leather  goods.  To  the  little  church  formed 
there  Thomas  gave  most  of  his  earnings  from  his  manual 
labor  for  hall  rent,  etc.  He  graduated  from  Bethany.  Com- 
ing to  IlHnois  in  1860,  he  first  served  the  Bloomington 
Church  seven  years  and  later  the  churches  at  Princeton,  Lin- 
coln and  Monmouth. 

These  brothers  were  the  sons  of  Methodist  parents.     The 

home  was  one  of  regular  prayer  and  practical  piety.     They 

were  men  of  a  high  spiritual  type  and  gave  their  time  to 

crenuine  service.  ^^      t  i^t    r,  i-, 

^  Dr.  James  M.  Bell 

Sangamon  County,  111.,  1856. 

Educated  at  the  University  of  Michigan.  Was  elected 
to  the  House  of  the  Legislature  in  1910-12.  Dr.  Bell  is  a 
member  of  the  church  at  Rochester. 

Prof.  W.  F.  Black. 

Moorefield,  Ky.,  1839.  1908,  Chicao:o,  111. 

Mr.  Black's  early  years  were  passed  in  schoolrooms  as 
student  and  teacher.    He  graduated  at  Asbury,  now  DePauw 


472  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

University,  and  spent  some  time  at  Hiram  while  J.  A.  Gar- 
field was  there.  He  entered  the  ministry  at  the  age  of 
eighteen,  and  for  many  years  was  a  very  popular  and  suc- 
cessful preacher.  He  served  as  pastor  at  Terre  Haute, 
Greencastle  and  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  and  Tuscola  and  Chicago, 
111.,  and  was  president  of  the  Northwest  University,  now 
Butler  College,  in  1872-74.  He  was  best  known  as  a  great 
evangelist.  His  meetings  in  cities,  towns  and  country  were 
equally  successful — the  additions  were  counted  by  hundreds 
and  by  thousands.  Many  of  these  were  leading  and  influ- 
ential citizens  of  their  communities.  He  did  his  work  with- 
out the  aid  of  professional  singers  or  special  helpers.  His 
custom  was  to  teach  the  people  the  Scriptures  and  follow 
this  lesson  in  the  same  meeting  with  a  great  sermon.  Illinois 
owes  much  to  his  self-denying  and  faithful  service,  for  not 
a  few  of  her  feeble  congregations  were  thereby  saved  from 
death  to  large  usefulness,  and  many  from  all  classes  of 
society  were  led  to  know  and  to  walk  in  the  better  way.  He 
is  held  in  tender  memory  by  a  host  of  grateful  friends. 

William  Henry  Boles. 

Perry  County,  111.,  1850. 

Educated  in  country  schools,  Ewing  College  and  Butler 
College.  Entered  the  Christian  ministry  in  1870.  Served 
the  churches  at  De  Soto,  Marion,  Carbondale,  Duquoin, 
Pekin  and  Christopher  as  pastor.  Mr.  Boles  has  been  widely 
and  well  known  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  as  a  live  wire. 
He  has  been  a  successful  evangelist  and  a  popular  lecturer, 
speaking  to  many  multitudes  on  Mormonism,  the  liquor 
traffic,  evidences  of  Christianity,  Romanism,  and  other  sub- 
jects that  delude  and  enslave  people  in  error.  He  was  never 
known  to  run  away  from  a  public  discussion  when  it  was 
thrust  upon  him.  He  is  industrious,  genial,  democratic  and 
enthusiastic  in  his  work.  Over  eight  thousand  people  have 
been  added  to  the  churches  by  his  ministry.  In  March, 
188S,  he  conducted  a  series  of  meetings  in  Duquoin.  At  its 
beginning  he  entered  into  an  agreement  with  Dr.  A.  J.  Fish- 


BIOGRAPHIES  473 

back,  a  rationalist  of  local  notoriety.  First,  the  doctor  was 
to  hear  every  sermon  preached  by  Mr.  Boles.  Second,  for 
two  hours  a  day,  four  days  in  the  week,  they  were  privately 
to  consider  the  fundamentals  of  Christianity.  Third,  if  the 
doctor  was  convinced  that  the  Bible  came  from  God  and 
that  Jesus  is  divine,  he  should  quit  the  "Freethinkers"  and 
preach  the  gospel  henceforward.  Fourth,  if  Mr.  Boles 
should  be  convinced  to  the  contrary,  he  should  quit  the  pulpit 
and  take  the  platform  for  infidelity.  Before  the  meeting 
closed,  Dr.  Fishback  became  a  Christian.  To  the  close  of  his 
life,  nine  years  thereafter,  he  was  an  able  minister  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Mr.  Boles  is  a  brave  and  unselfish  patriot,  and  bears 
in  his  body  the  marks  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

Dr.  William  Boos, 

Woodford  County,  Ky.,  1831.  1901,  Carthage,  111. 

Those  who  were  personally  acquainted  with  this  gentle- 
man called  him  a  noted  physician,  preacher,  philosopher  and 
friend.  His  father's  family  came  to  Illinois  in  1837,  and  in 
1839  into  Hancock  County.  Orphaned  of  his  parents  at  the 
age  of  fourteen,  he  was  one  of  six  children  left  penniless 
and  alone.  He  appealed  to  the  judge  for  the  privilege  of 
choosing  his  own  guardian,  which  was  granted.  In  the 
home  of  this  friend  he  became  one  of  the  family.  The  only 
schoolbook  he  there  had  was  an  English  novel,  from  which 
he  would  read  aloud  to  the  pleasure  of  the  whole  school. 
By  his  persistence  and  pine-knot  efforts,  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
he  secured  a  subscription  school,  which  he  taught  in  the 
kitchen  of  David  Mason's  cabin.  The  money  thus  earned 
was  used  to  enable  him  to  make  some  trips  to  Carthage  and 
to  buy  and  borrow  some  books.  For  three  years  he  studied 
medicine,  for  his  great  ambition  was  to  be  a  physician. 
Meanwhile,  he  taught  schools  as  necessary.  He  became  a 
Christian  under  the  ministry  of  Gilmore  Callison  and  began 
to  preach  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  His  knowledge  of  the 
Bible  soon  became  remarkable,  and  later  he  was  widely  rec- 
ognized  as   an   eloquent  preacher.     A   minister   of   another 


474  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

church  asked  Dr.  Booz  to  come  to  Pontoosuc  at  one  time 
and  meet  an  opponent  in  a  public  discussion.  So  well  was 
the  work  done  that  the  opponent  failed  to  appear  the  second 
evening. 

All  his  life  he  was  a  country  doctor.  Despite  his  early 
disadvantages  and  later  handicaps,  he  rose  to  wide  recogni- 
tion. At  one  time  he  had  the  entire  practice  in  170  square 
miles  around  his  home,  except  in  twelve  families.  He  had 
patients  all  c>ver  western  Illinois  as  well  as  in  Iowa,  Mis- 
souri, Ohio  and  Kentucky.  When  he  began  the  practice  of 
medicine  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  laid  down  certain 
rules,  from  which  he  never  deviated  through  the  forty-seven 
years  of  his  professional  work.  He  was  always  a  hard  stu- 
dent— a  pr<3gressive,  a  discoverer,  a  leader.  During  the 
period  of  his  practice  he  rode  more  than  one-half-million 
miles,  mostly  through  the  brakes  of  Crooked  Creek.  He 
regarded  a  call  to  a  bed  of  pain  as  a  call  to  duty.  Through 
trackless  forests,  bridgeless  streams  and  Egyptian  darkness, 
he  made  countless  trips  to  the  homes  of  suffering,  and  oft- 
times  where  no  compensation  could  be  expected  except  the 
love  and  gratitude  that  followed  him  to  his  dying  day.  He 
was  the  embodiment  of  cheerfulness,  and  his  peculiar  per- 
sonality inspired  his  patients  with  confidence. 

Without  personal  political  ambition,  he  was  a  leader  in 
politics. 

He  wrote  well.  His  papers  for  township  literary  societies 
were  gems  of  pathos,  wit  and  homely  good  sense.  In  the 
early  sixties  he  sent  a  communication  to  the  Carthage 
Republican  over  the  pseudonym,  "Country  Jake."  The 
editor  was  so  impressed  with  its  pungent  character  that  he 
encouraged  him  to  send  weekly  contributions.  Thus  was 
born  provincial  journalism  in  Illinois. 

In  medicine  Dr.  Booz  was  a  genius,  to  the  world  a  Chris- 
tian, to  his  contemporaries  a  philosopher,  and  to  his  family 
and  to  all  people,  a  gentleman.  He  was  the  soul  of  honor, 
justice  and  generosity.  There  was  not  a  selfish  or  mean 
streak  in  him.    The  pride  of  his  Kentucky  blood  was  appar- 


BIOGRAPHIES  475 

cnt  in  his  exalted  character.     And  a  country  doctor  all  his 
life  because  he  wanted  to  be  I 

Thomas  E.  Bondurant. 

Near  Mechanicsburg,  III,  1831.  1905,  De  Land,  111. 

His  parents  were  Kentuckians  who  came  to  Illinois  in 
1828.  In  1854,  Mr.  Bondurant  entered  290  acres  of  land  in 
Piatt  County,  under  the  graduation  act  of  Congress,  at  fifty 
cents  per  acre.  He  moved  there  in  1856,  which  was  his 
home  to  the  close  of  his  life.  The  year  before  he  had 
attended  Eureka  College,  but,  becoming  engrossed  in  his 
business,  did  not  return. 

Mr.  Bondurant  was  never  married.  In  1861  his  mother 
and  a  sister.  Miss  Mary  E.  Bondurant,  went  to  De  Land, 
and  the  three  constituted  the  family.  Throughout  his  life 
he  was  a  farmer  and  live-stock  man.  He  was  a  shrewd  and 
far-sighted  business  man.  His  advice  to  men  starting  in  life 
was,  *'Buy  land."  He  continued  to  follow  this  maxim,  and 
accumulated  large  property. 

He  came  into  the  church  in  1851,  and  for  fifty- four  years 
was  an  intelligent  and  active  Christian.  He  always  stood 
openly  for  the  better  things  in  life  and  against  the  saloon 
and  kindred  evils.  And  he  was  never  willing  to  compromise 
with  wrong.  He  was  generous  to  many  worthy  causes  while 
he  lived,  but  did  not  talk  about  his  benefactions. 

At  the  time  of  his  decease,  his  estate  was  valued  at  about 
$450,000.  By  his  last  will,  the  larger  part  of  this  wealth  is 
to  be  used,  after  ten  years,  for  educational  and  missionary 
purposes.     His  end  was  peace. 

Hughes  Bowles. 

Virginia,  1786.  1846,  DeWitt  County,  111. 

This  man  came  from  Virginia  to  Caneridge,  Ky.,  and  was 
probably  a  product  of  the  great  revival  held  there  in  1801. 
His  education  was  limited,  but  he  was  a  great  reader  and  a 
good  historian.     He  united  with  the  Baptist  Church  and  was 


476         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

licensed  to  preach.  He  soon  decided  that  denominationaHsm 
was  wrong,  and  he  beheved  that  God  had  revealed  to  every 
man  his  whole  duty  in  plain  and  unmistakable  terms  in  the 
Bible. 

He  settled  on  a  farm  in  DeWitt  County,  near  the  site  of 
Old  Union  Church,  Turnbridge  Township,  on  the  banks  of 
Salt  Creek,  in  the  spring  of  1830.  He  had  then  been  mar- 
ried twice  and  was  the  father  of  twelve  living  children. 
Members  of  his  family  maintained  the  farm  of  two  hundred 
acres  while  the  father  gave  his  time  to  preaching  the  gospel. 
His  trips  were  made  on  horseback  and  reached  from  ten  to 
fifty  miles.  The  storms  of  the  winters,  the  miry  sloughs  and 
swollen  streams  of  the  springs  and  early  summers  frequently 
challenged  the  faith  and  courage  of  the  itinerant  preachers. 
But  Mr.  Bowles  seldom  missed  an  appointment. 

He  was  well  versed  in  the  Scriptures  and  could  almost 
quote  the  New  Testament  from  beginning  to  end.  Asso- 
ciated with  him  in  his  Christian  work  there  were  Abner 
Peeler,  powerful  in  argument  and  appeal  and  a  true 
prophet's  vision;  James  Scott,  who  spoke  with  the  "old  Bap- 
tist tone,"  and  when  the  weather  was  warm  would,  in  the 
progress  of  his  sermon,  lay  off  his  coat,  unbutton  his  collar 
and  sleeves  and  plead  most  earnestly  with  his  hearers ;  and 
Alfred  Lindsey,  mild,  gentle  and  with  wonderful  winning 
power.  Ten  dollars  was  the  largest  sum  Hughes  Bowles 
ever  received  for  holding  a  meeting,  which  was  at  the  Lake 
Fork  Church.  This  money  he  gave  to  a  Mrs.  Frakes,  a 
widowed  sister  in  the  Lord,  who  was  thrown  from  her  horse, 
breaking  her  hip,  while  going  to  his  meeting.  He  was  a 
kind  and  sympathetic  man,  but  very  positive.  All  his  chil- 
dren were  in  the  fold  ere  their  father  went  away  to  be  with 
the  Good  Shepherd. 

David  Bowles. 

Bourbon  County,  Ky.,  1825.  1911,  Emden,  Til. 

David  was  the  oldest  son.  He  was  a  farmer,  residing  on 
Delavan  Prairie,  in  Logan  County.      He    read    much,    was 


BIOGRAPHIES  477 

decidedly  conservative  and  a  good  public  speaker.  He 
assisted  in  the  organization  of  several  churches  within  the 
radius  of  his  Christian  service. 

March  10,  1903,  from  his  home  in  Emden,  111.,  David 
Bowles  wrote  to  T.  T.  Holton.  From  his  communication  the 
following  is  taken: 

I  do  not  know  of  a  meeting-house  in  this  part  of  the  State  before 
1840.  The  people  met  for  worship  in  the  summer-time  in  the  groves, 
in  the  winter-time  in  their  dwelHng-houses.  The  houses  were  nearly- 
all  log  cabins  eighteen  feet  square.  Two  beds  in  this  room.  A  big 
fireplace  in  one  end.  No  windows.  Glass  could  not  be  had.  So,  you 
see,  this  left  but  a  small  meeting-house.  But  you  would  be  surprised 
at  the  number  of  people  that  would  get  into  one  of  these  houses  for 
worship.  The  young  women  and  some  married  women  would  pull  off 
their  shoes  and  get  up  on  the  beds,  till  sometimes  there  would  be  from 
eight  to  ten  on  each  bed.  Some  people  may  say,  "This  is  unreason- 
able— the  beds  could  not  hold  them  up."  They  were  not  such  bedsteads 
as  we  have  now.  Usually  there  was  but  one  post  to  the  bedstead. 
Holes  bored  into  the  logs  of  the  wall  with  a  two-inch  auger  and  a 
strong  rail  sharpened  to  fit  was  inserted  and  strong  rope  cords  made 
at  home  of  hemp  made  them  very  strong.  Still,  once  in  awhile,  one 
of  these  cords  would  break  and  let  them  to  the  floor.  Soon  everything 
would  be  quiet  again.  With  all  orr  glorious  meetings  we  would 
sometimes  have  some  of  the  ridiculous.  I  will  only  name  one  or  two. 
One  cold  winter  day  we  met  at  old  Father  Hall's.  Bro.  Walter 
Bowles  was  to  preach.  The  house  was  just  such  as  I  have  described, 
with  a  loft  laid  with  large  clapboards.  A  ladder  going  up  in  the 
right-hand  corner  by  the  fireplace.  The  door  shut.  A  lamp  lighted. 
Brother  Walter  stood  right  by  or  under  the  ladder  that  led  to  the 
loft.  He  was  lining  his  hymn,  when  a  big  tomcat  raised  a  racket  up 
in  the  loft  and  came  tearing  down  the  ladder.  Brother  Walter  rather 
dodged.  But  some  of  the  older  ones  were  able  to  sing  the  hymn. 
The  house  was  so  crowded  that  none  could  kneel.  Everybody's  face 
was  turned  toward  the  fire.  While  Brother  Walter  was  offering 
prayer  the  cat  that  had  got  whipped  came  and  sat  down  in  front  of 
the  fire.  The  cat  that  had  whipped  came  slipping  through  the  crowd, 
and,  seeing  the  one  he  had  whipped  sitting  before  the  fire,  he  aimed 
to  give  him  a  big  lick.  But  the  other  saw  him  in  time  to  slip  out  of 
the  way.  The  boss  cat  went  right  under  the  fore-stick  into  the  fire 
and  came  out  squalling  and  carried  the  fire  and  coals  back  through 
the  crowd.  Old  Mother  Hall  saw  it  would  set  the  house  on  fire. 
Broke  in  with  a  broom  on  him.  Everybody  in  the  house  saw  it,  and 
Brother  Walt  brought  his  prayer  to  a  close  very  quickly.  Soon  we 
were  dismissed. 


478         HICTORY  OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

I  will  give  just  one  more  to  show  the  inconveniences  we  had  to 
labor  under.  We  had  prayer-meeting  at  old  Bro.  James  Ferrice's  one 
right.  The  old  grease-lamp  was  stuck  in  the  wall  of  the  house  just 
about  as  high  as  a  man's  shoulder.  Bro.  Ambrose  Hall  was  up  talking. 
Forgot  himself  and  threw  his  head  back,  and  the  blaze  was  all  over  his 
head  in  an  instant.  Some  of  the  brethren  sprang  to  him  and  extin- 
guished the  flame.  So  that  brought  that  meeting  to  a  sudden  close. 
This  is  enough  of  the  ridiculous. 

William  F.  Bowles, 

Kentucky,  1829. 

William  F.  Bowles  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Illinois 
in  1830.  He  became  a  Christian  at  thirteen  and  served  the 
Old  Union  Church  as  deacon  and  elder  for  many  years.  A 
great  student  of  the  Bible,  his  judgment  was  regarded  as 
based  upon  truth  and  justice.  He  always  helped  in  the 
aggressive  work  of  the  church,  and  his  conclusions  on  church 
government  were  rarely  questioned.  His  one  son  and  four 
grandchildren  are  all  prominent  in  the  work  of  the  church. 
He  is  the  sole  survivor  of  the  family  that  came  to  Illinois, 
and  resides  with  his  son  in  Des  Moines,  la. 

Walter  P.  Bozvles. 

Kentucky,  1811.  1863,  Illinois. 

This  man  was  the  most  forceful  and  noted  of  this 
remarkable  family.  He  was  the  son  of  Hughes  and  Ruth 
Prather  Bowles.  During  his  mature  years  he  was  called  by 
nearly  all  of  his  acquaintances  ''Wattie  Bowles." 

He  was  physically  a  man  of  the  finest  type.  Standing 
six  feet  and  one  inch  in  his  stocking  feet,  his  weight  was 
190  pounds.  Rarely  could  any  man  follow  him  with  ax, 
cradle  or  scythe.  He  could  stand  with  both  feet  in  a  half- 
bushel  measure  and  shoulder  four  bushels  of  wheat  in  one 
sack. 

There  was  an  admirable  co-ordination  between  his  phys- 
ical forces  and  his  mental  enere^ies.  At  about  the  age  of 
twenty-two  he  was  married  to  Miss  Isabel  Wallace,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Col.  Andrew  Wallace,  who  served  in  our  army  in  the 
war  of  1812.    At  that  time  Mr.  Bowles  could  not  read.    His 


BIOGRAPHIES  479 

wife  proved  herself  to  be  a  fine  teacher — her  husband  an 
unusually  bright  pupil.  Five  years  thereafter  he  could  quote 
nearly  all  of  the  New  Testament  from  memory,  and  before 
the  close  of  his  life,  most  of  the  Old  as  well.  His  memory 
was  extraordinary.  He  knew  the  map  of  Palestine  better 
than  most  people  know  their  own  State. 

Of  course  Mr.  Bowles  was  a  farmer,  owning  and  culti- 
vating his  land.  But  shortly  after  his  marriage  he  became 
a  preacher.  Those  who  heard  him,  testify  that  he  was  pow- 
erful and  eloquent.  His  superior  ability  to  sing  and  induce 
others  to  sing,  added  much  to  his  efficiency.  He  was  mighty 
in  prayer  as  well.  Sometimes  he  would  stop  in  his  discourse, 
drop  down  upon  his  knees,  and  passionately  plead  for  the 
salvation  of  sinners.  In  plowing-time  he  would  work  in  his 
fields  Saturdays  till  11  o'clock  a.  m.,  then  come  to  his 
house.  Then  he  would  whet  his  razor  on  his  boot-leg,  hone 
it  on  the  palm  of  his  left  hand,  and  shave  his  face  clean 
and  smooth  without  the  aid  of  a  mirror ;  then  grease  his 
boots,  wash  up  and  redress ;  after  eating  his  dinner,  he 
would  saddle  his  horse  and  gallop  away  ten  to  thirty  miles 
and  preach  Saturday  night  and  Sunday  in  a  residence  or 
schoolhouse  to  fifteen  or  more  people.  For  this  work  he 
received  not  a  dollar.  His  reward  was  the  sweet  conscious- 
ness of  duty  well  done  and  that  God  was  pleased.  Thus 
he  traveled  through  DeWitt,  Sangamon,  Morgan,  Logan  and 
McLean  Counties.  At  one  time  he  held  a  "big  meeting"  in 
the  barn  of  John  Campbell,  in  Tazewell  County,  at  which 
three  hundred  additions  were  received. 

Mr.  Bowles  lived  in  a  farmhouse  in  Turnbridge  Town- 
ship. He  was  a  pronounced  antislavery  man  and  a  lifelong 
friend  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  who  was  entertained  a  number 
of  times  in  the  hospitable  home  of  Mr.  Bowles.  In  the 
earlier  period  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  life,  on  one  of  these  occa- 
sions he  said:  "Watt,  if  I  could  preach  like  you,  I  v/ould 
rather  do  that  than  be  President." 

Mr.  Bowles  was  absolutely  fearless.  In  one  of  his  meet- 
ings in  a  schoolhouse  two  young  men  got  to  playing  cards. 


480  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Me  asked  them  to  desist,  urging  that  it  was  quite  out  of 
place.  In  a  few  minutes  they  were  at  it  again.  The 
preacher  said  they  must  stop  it.  When  they  started  their 
game  the  third  time  he  walked  back  to  them,  grasped  each 
one  by  his  collar  with  his  vise-like  hands,  led  them  to  the 
door,  bumped  their  heads  together  and  told  them  to  go. 
They  went. 

At  one  time  Mr.  Bowles  and  his  cousin,  John  G.  Camp- 
bell, of  McLean  County,  were  driving  together  in  some  kind 
of  a  one-horse  rig.  At  high  noon  they  came  to  the  home  of 
a  pioneer  farmer,  located  not  far  from  the  present  site  of 
Waynesville.  The  farmer  and  his  "hired  man"  had  just 
come  in  from  the  field,  when  the  following  conversation 
took  place : 

"Hello,  neighbor,"  called  out  Mr.  Bowles ;  "we  wish  to 
go  to  New  Jerusalem  and  have  stopped  to  ask  you  about  the 
way." 

"To  where?"  asked  the  farmer. 

"To   New  Jerusalem." 

"Never  heard  of  any  such  place.  This  road  leads  up  to 
Eloomington." 

"No,"  answered  Bowles,  "we  are  going  to  New  Jerusa- 
lem. But  we  are  hungry.  Now,  if  you  will  give  us  our 
dinner  and  feed  our  horse  I  will  tell  you  the  way  to  New 
Jerusalem." 

"The  devil  you  will,"  answered  the  farmer.  "I  will  give 
you  your  dinners  and   feed  your  horse   for  fifty  cents." 

When  they  had  finished  dinner,  Mr.  Bowles  pushed  back 
a  little  from  the  table  and  began  to  preach  to  them  the  way 
of  the  Lord.  When  they  rose  from  their  places  it  was  to  go 
to  a  near-by  stream,  where  Mr.  Bowles  baptized  the  farmer, 
his  wife  and  the  hired  man — the  entire  family. 

His  body  sleeps  in  Old  Union  Cemetery,  within  six  feet 
of  the  spot  where  stood  the  pulpit  in  which  he  had  preached 
hundreds  of  times. 

God  always  provides  the  man  for  the  time,  and  Wattie 
Bowles  was  a  child  of  Providence. 


BIOGRAPHIES  481 

Christopher  C.  Boyer. 

Edgar  County,  III,  1839.  1908,  Edgar  County,  111. 

Mr.  Boyer  resided  on  a  farm  all  his  lite  in  the  county  of 
his  birth.  However,  for  a  long  period  he  was  an  active  but 
a  conservative  and  useful  minister,  chiefly  in  Edgar,  Coles 
and  Clark  Counties.  His  financial  compensation  for  his 
ministerial  labors  was  always  small.  He  was  the  father  of 
Min.  T.  A.  Taylor  and  Prof.  E.  E.  Boyer,  of  Eureka  College. 

Clark  Braden. 

Trumbull  County,  O.,  1831. 

Mr.  Braden  graduated  from  Farmers  College,  Cincin- 
nati, O.,  in  1860.  No  one  aided  him  by  a  dollar  after  he 
left  the  country  district  school.  For  ten  years  he  labored, 
taught  and  attended  school  as  he  could.  Aiding  his  younger 
brothers  and  sisters,  in  their  struggles  for  an  education, 
delayed  the  completion  of  his  own  course.  His  father  and 
mother  were  pioneer  Abolitionists  and  active  teetotaler- 
temperance  advocates  from  1835  to  1855.  Mr.  Braden  was 
himself  in  line  with  the  enemies  of  slavery  from  his  youth. 
He  cast  his  first  vote  for  Freesoil  in  1852.  He  stumped  and 
voted  for  Fremont  in  1856,  and  for  Lincoln  in  1860.  In 
this  work  his  life  was  twice  in  peril  from  friends  of  the 
saloons  and  thrice  by  Mormons.  He  made  war  speeches  and 
carried  a  gun  as  a  soldier  in  the  127th  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry. 

Many  years  of  his  life  have  been  given  to  educational 
work.  In  this  field  he  filled  many  positions,  from  the 
teacher  of  a  "deestrick  skule  and  board  round"  to  the  presi- 
dency of  three  colleges. 

He  has  served  in  the  Christian  ministry  for  fifty-seven 
years  and  has  been  pastor  of  thirty-five  churches.  He  has 
been  a  voluminous  writer  and  has  edited  one  political  and 
one  religious  paper.  He  has  delivered  more  than  six  thou- 
sand lectures.  He  has  conducted  133  public  discussions,  on 
nearly  all  topics  agitating  the  public  mind.     Twenty-six  of 

16 


482         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

these  discussions  were  in  Hlinois.  He  was  endorsed  for 
more  than  one  hundred  other  debates  at  which  his  opponents 
failed  to  appear,  including  "Seventh-dayists,"  infidels  and 
Mormons.  For  more  than  twenty  years  it  was  a  standing 
formula  with  these  errorists,  when  they  challenged  for  a 
debate,  to  condition,  "any  one  except  Braden."  Some  of 
his  opponents,  when  hard  pressed  by  Mr.  Braden,  uncere- 
moniously fled  from  the  halls  where  the  discussions  were 
in  progress,  amid  the  jeers  and  hisses  of  audiences.  His 
debates  and  lectures  have  reached  through  many  States  and 
Provinces  of  Canada.  In  April,  1872,  Mr.  Braden  sent  a 
challenge  to  the  great  agnostic,  Robert  G.  Ingersoll,  to 
debate  in  Peoria.  When  asked  by  Colonel  Wright,  "Why 
do  you  not  accept?"  he  replied,  "I  am  not  such  a 
fool  as  to  debate.  He  would  wear  me  out."  Mr.  Braden's 
last  public  discussion  was  successfully  conducted  in  his  sev- 
enty-eighth year.  A  prominent  minister  declared  in  a  church 
paper  that  Mr.  Braden,  by  his  assaults  upon  errors  and  his 
earnest  advocacy  of  the  truth,  had  saved  the  Pacific  Coast 
from  a  tidal  wave  of  infidelity.  Mr.  Braden  was  sometimes 
criticized  for  his  neglect  or  disregard  of  the  social  ameni- 
ties of  life.  However,  he  was  always  a  companionable  man, 
when  he  had  time.  A  fine  physique  has  enabled  him  to  do 
the  work  of  two  or  three  men.  He  has  been  "a  crank  all 
his  life  and  grows  no  better,"  for  he  is  now  an  active  advo- 
cate of  Christian  socialism.  The  storms  of  eighty  years  have 
not  cooled  the  ardor  of  his  love  for  "the  truth  as  it  is  in 
Jesus."  For  more  than  sixty  years  he  has  studied,  inves- 
tigated, written,  taught  and  debated,  and  through  these  six 
eventful  decades  his  master  aim  has  been,  "Accept  the 
Christ's  teachings,  live  the  Christ  life,  realize  the  Christ  char- 

Dr.  J.  H.  Breeden. 

Sullivan  County,  Ind.,  1834.  1911,  Tpava,  111. 

Dr.  Breeden  was  a  born  leader  of  people.  He  came  from 
Pike  County,  III,  about  1858,  and  settled  in  the  village  of 
Summum,  in  Fulton  County,  to  practice  medicine.     At  that 


BIOGRAPHIES  483 

time  his  material  possessions  consisted  of  his  wife — a  woman 
of  superior  mind  and  heart — one  son,  a  pony,  a  dog,  a  Uttle 
house  furniture  and  his  medicine-case.  He  began  hfe  there 
in  a  two-roomed  house,  in  which  he  resided  for  a  long  time. 
His  first  concern  was  the  formation  of  a  church  in  his  new 
home,  after  the  primitive  order,  for  he  had  learned  the  word 
of  God  and  how  to  preach  it.  He  was  chiefly  instrumental 
in  establishing  the  church  in  Summum,  and  its  care  devolved 
mainly  upon  him  for  many  years.  Besides,  he  was  active 
in  preaching  the  gospel  in  the  communities  around  and  about. 
Meanwhile,  his  work  as  a  physician  grew  and  increased  and 
became  very  extensive.  In  this  he  was  sincere,  prudent, 
frank  and  kindly,  so  that  his  friends  were  counted  by  thou- 
sands. He  was  a  genial  and  companionable  man.  With  the 
acquisition  of  property  his  liberality  grew.  He  was  the 
friend  of  every  good  cause  and  the  liberal  supporter  of  every 
good  work.  For  a  term  of  years  he  served  well  as  a  trustee 
of  Eureka  College.  During  his  life  and  by  his  last  will  he 
contributed  thousands  of  dollars  to  advance  the  kingdom 
of  God.  He  was  a  brotherly  man,  skillful  in  his  profession, 
successful  in  business  and  a  good  preacher  as  well.  H.  O. 
Breeden  is  his  gifted  son. 

/.  H.  G.  Brinkerhoff. 

Hackensack,  N.  J.,  1844. 

Came  with  his  father's  family  to  Illinois  in  1852.  Edu- 
cated in  common  schools,  Steele's  Seminary,  Indiana  Normal, 
and  graduated  in  law  at  McKendrie  College.  He  has  taught 
in  high  schools  twenty  years,  been  frequently  engaged  in 
newspaper  work  and  has  preached  the  gospel  as  well. 

H.  M.  Brooks. 

Meigs  County,  O.,  1855. 

Was  educated  in  the  school  of  hard  manual  v/ork  and 
trained  in  the  common  and  select  schools,  U.  C.  College  and 
literary  correspondence  courses  of  two  universities.  He  was 
an  ordained  minister  in  the  Christian  Denomination  for  four 


484         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

years.  In  January,  1889,  at  Illiopolis,  111.,  he  united  with 
the  Christian  Church  during  the  pastorate  of  XJ.  M.  Browder. 
He  served  the  Paris  Church  with  much  efficiency;  also 
preached  for  the  Kansas  and  Bell  Ridge  Churches  in  Edgar 
County,  and  the  church  at  Tuscola,  besides  churches  in  other 
States.  He  has  organized  five  congregations  and  induced 
fourteen  young  men  to  enter  the  Christian  ministry.  He 
conducted  the  funeral  of  Dennis  Hanks,  who  taught  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  to  read.  Mr.  Hanks  died  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
three  years  from  the  effects  of  a  runaway. 

Theodore  Brooks. 

Came  from  Troy,  N.  Y.,  to  Lexington,  III,  in  1860.  The 
recently  formed  church  there  had  invited  him  to  become  its 
pastor.  He  served  this  congregation  and  that  at  Lincoln 
half-time  each.  Mr.  Brooks  was  a  scholarly  man,  with  a 
ready  command  of  a  fine  vocabulary.  Of  companionable 
disposition,  he  was  a  superior  conversationalist.  As  a 
preacher  he  was  fervent  and  interesting.  It  was  his  custom 
when  he  came  to  Illinois  not  to  preach  "first  principles"  and 
to  never  give,  at  the  close  of  his  sermons,  the  pubhc  invita- 
tion for  people  to  accept  the  Saviour.  One  Sunday  in  June, 
1861,  when  preaching  in  Lexington,  he  was  informed  that 
a  lady  wished  to  present  her  letter  and  be  received  into  the 
congregation ;  so  he  gave  the  invitation.  While  the  hymn 
was  being  sung,  a  gentleman  passed  up  one  aisle  and  his 
sister  the  other — both  to  make  the  good  confession.  The 
preacher,  learning  the  facts,  cried  out,  "O  God,  forgive  my 
lack  of  faith !"  His  continued  ministry  in  Illinois  was  most 
helpful  to  both  congregations  and  preachers. 

George  Matthew  Brown. 

Kentucky,  1816.  1893,  Pike  County,  III. 

He  was  a  brother  of  Wm.  H.  Brown,  and  was  usually 
called  Matty  Brown.  He  was  peculiar  to  marked  eccen- 
tricity, but  did  useful  work  in  Pike  County  and  elsewhere. 


BIOGRAPHIES  485 

William  M.  Brown, 

Kentucky.  1863,  Tennessee. 

This  man  was  a  striking  personality.  He  was  six  feet 
and  two  inches  in  height  and  of  fine  form,  weighing  two 
hundred  pounds.  His  head  was  large,  his  face  strong  and 
clean-shaven,  and  his  dark  hair  he  wore  long  for  a  male  and 
decidedly  pompadour. 

He  came  to  Springfield  in  1841  and  for  a  time  was  pas- 
toi  of  the  church  there. 

He  was  elected  as  the  first  president  of  Eureka  College, 
but  his  service  was  only  nominal. 

His  chief  work  was  that  of  an  evangelist.  In  this  sphere 
he  was  probably  the  most  noted  among  the  Disciples  during 
his  period  of  service  in  Illinois.  He  was  regarded  as  a 
powerful  preacher.  His  sermons  united  argument  with 
impassioned  appeal.  In  dealing  with  what  he  considered 
denominational  doctrinal  errors  he  was  often  as  inexorable 
as  logic  could  be,  even  to  rasping.  On  one  such  occasion, 
a  woman  auditor,  not  in  sympathy  with  all  his  teaching,  per- 
sonally expressed  the  wish  that  she  ''might  have  his  scalp 
for  a  scrub-brush."  At  one  of  the  earlier  State  Meetings 
held  in  Springfield,  the  mountain-top  was  reached  on  the 
Lord's  Day.  It  was  the  custom  then,  at  the  close  of  the 
communion,  to  shake  hands  throughout  the  assembly.  Some 
of  the  elder  brethren  would  embrace  each  other  and  weep 
tears  of  joy.  On  this  occasion,  Mr.  Brown  and  the  gentle 
Barton  W.  Stone  were  quite  carried  from  the  usual  self- 
poise  by  the  ecstacy  of  joy.  Then  Mr.  Stone  cried  out, 
"Brother  Brown,  you  speak  too  harshly  of  people's  errors. 
Dear  brother,  when  you  find  a  stone  across  the  path  of 
truth,  just  carefully  roll  it  away,  but  don't  try  to  spat  the 
man  who  laid  it  there."  It  is  said  that  a  sermon  that  he 
delivered  at  Mt.  Pulaski,  following  the  Kane-Bunn  debate 
on  Universalism,  was  such  a  terrific  indictment  of  other 
Protestant  preachers  and  so  filled  with  ginger  and  salt,  that 
several  days  passed  before  those  in  the  great  audience 
regained   sufficient   composure   to   talk   about  the   discourse. 


486  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IX    ILLINOIS 

To  his  aggressiveness  he  added  a  brilliant  imagination.  His 
pictures  of  heavenly  things  were  sublime.  Great  crowds 
attended  his  meetings  and  many  were  turned  to  the  Lord. 
After  all,  a  sweet  tenderness  was  in  his  soul.  Conducting  a 
meeting  in  Bloomington  in  a  cold  winter,  he  was  entertained 
in  the  inviting  home  of  Dr.  R.  O.  Warriner.  After  the  even- 
ing meetings,  going  home  the  doctor  led  his  little  daughter 
Belle  by  the  hand.  The  child,  tired  and  very  sleepy,  as  all 
normal  children  should  be  in  such  circumstances,  cried.  Then 
Mr.  Brown  would  sing  to  her: 

"Rings  on  her  fingers,  bells  on  her  toes, 
She  keeps  boohooing  wherever  she  goes." 

The  churches  at  Springfield,  Bloomington,  Pittsfield,  and 
at  many  other  places  in  the  State,  are  yet  much  indebted  to 
this  great  preacher.  He  became  chaplain  in  the  Thirty-eighth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and,  contracting  a  cold  at  the 
battle  of  Chickamauga,  died  ten  days  later. 

Uriah  Marion  Browder. 

Jamestown,  O.,  1846.  1907,  Dayton,  O. 

Mr.  Browder  was  a  pastor  and  evangelist  and  a  public 
debater  in  Illinois  for  a  period  of  the  seventies  and  eighties. 
He  was  clear  in  thinking,  masterful  in  logic,  and  forceful 
in  the  presentation  of  the  truth,  which  he  never  questioned 
or  compromised.     He  was  the  author  of  several  books. 

Francis  M.  Bruner. 

Kentucky,  1833.  1899,  Iowa. 

Mr.  Bruner  was  of  German  ancestry  and  rugged  pioneer 
progenitors.  His  boyhood  and  youth  were  passed  upon  his 
father's  farm  in  Illinois.  He  si'raduated  from  Knox  College 
in  1857  w^ith  the  honors  of  his  class.  He  went  to  Europe 
in  1858,  where  he  spent  three  years  at  the  Universities  of 
ITalle  in  Prussia  and  '1  Ecloe  de  Paris  in  France.  Some 
time  was  also  passed  in  the  great  libraries,  the  museums  and 
art  galleries  of  Berlin  and  London.     He  was  a  diligent  stu- 


BIOGRAPHIES  487 

dent  and  an  indefatigable  worker,  so  that  he  came  to  a 
strength  of  intellect,  breadth  of  scholarship  and  greatness  of 
character  that  made  him  the  peer  of  the  best  men  of  his 
time.  He  was  captain  of  Company  A  of  the  Seventh  United 
States  Colored  Infantry  one  year,  during  which  time  he  con- 
tracted the  germs  of  relentless  disease  from  which  he  was 
never  thereafter  free.  In  1866-67  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Illinois  Legislature,  serving  with  high  honor. 

In  1870  he  became  president  of  Oskaloosa  College,  Iowa, 
where  he  served  efficiently  as  executive,  teacher  and  solicitor 
for  six  years.  He  was  induced  to  accept  the  presidency  of 
Abingdon  College  in  1877.  Into  his  efforts  to  restore  the 
school  to  its  former  prosperity  and  usefulness  he  threw  the 
indomitable  energy  of  all  his  splendid  faculties;  but  the  seeds 
of  its  death  had  already  been  sown.  With  the  union  of 
Abingdon  and  Eureka  Colleges  he  became  the  head  of  the 
Bible  Department.  The  ripest  fruit  of  his  whole  life  was 
there  gathered  by  the  young  men  who  sat  in  the  shade  of 
this  great  tree.  After  four  years  there,  failing  health  com- 
pelled his  resignation. 

Mr.  Bruner  was  a  great  teacher  of  the  word  of  God.  His 
much  learning  did  not  make  him  mad  in  either  mind  or 
heart.  Intellectual  pride  and  self-righteousness  had  no  place 
in  him.  Cast  in  a  heroic  mold,  he  was  genuinely  humble 
and  loving.  In  health  and  sickness,  in  prosperity  and 
adversity,  in  appreciation  of  his  worth  or  its  lack,  he  was  a 
great  soul  who  moved  forward  unwaveringly  to  his  high 
aims. 

John  Buckles. 

Illinois,  1822.  1909,  Illinois. 

In  1822,  when  John  Buckles  was  three  weeks  old,  his 
parents  left  White  County,  111.,  to  find  and  make  a  home  in 
that  part  of  central  Illinois  now  known  as  Logan  County. 
John  was  the  third  child,  and  on  this  journey  was  carried 
in  the  arms  of  his  mother,  who  rode  on  horseback.  The 
distance  was  about  150  miles  as  the  crow  flies.  The  hard- 
ships of  such  a  trip  are  unknown  to  most  people  of  this  day. 


488  HISTORY    OF   THE    DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

At  that  time  there  were  only  six  famihes  living  within  the 
present  boundaries  of  Logan  County.  John's  father,  Robert 
Buckles,  was  a  man  of  iron  mold.  Without  the  education 
of  schools,  he  answered  clearly  all  the  questions  that  per- 
tained to  his  business  and  life.  At  the  outbreak  of  the 
Black  Hawk  War  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  enlist,  and 
bunked  with  and  fought  side  by  side  with  Abraham  Lincoln. 
John's  mother,  Mary  ("Polly")  Birks  Buckles,  was  one  of 
the  uncrowned  heroines  of  history.  She  was  the  mother  of 
fifteen  children.  The  family  residence  was  a  mud-daubed 
cabin.  In  this  for  many  years  she  did  all  the  cooking  before 
an  open  fireplace,  made  all  the  clothing  for  her  family  from 
the  raw  materials,  and  when  her  husband  was  absent  from 
home  at  some  distant  market,  or  at  war,  she  would  fell  the 
trees  and  cut  the  wood  for  use  during  the  cold  winters.  It 
was  a  new  land  upon  which  the  Buckles  babies  first  looked 
out.  Small  growths  of  trees  skirted  the  streams  of  water, 
and  the  wide  prairies,  reaching  out  in  every  direction  to  the 
horizon,  were  seas  of  grass  and  wild  flowers.  Wolves 
howled,  foxes  stole  and  wildcats  screamed.  Great  herds  of 
agile  deer  moved  gracefully  hither  and  thither,  and  count- 
less thousands  of  wild  chickens  made  the  prairies  vocal  with 
their  thrummings  in  the  early  mornings  of  spring.  And 
there  were  'coons  in  those  days.  Later  in  his  life,  John 
Buckles  said:  "Well  do  I  remember  the  winter  I  captured 
thirty  of  these  midnight  travelers,  and  the  day  I  received  my 
first  money — fifteen  dollars  in  silver — for  their  hides.  It  was 
one  of  the  happiest  events  of  my  life."  He  attended  school 
altogether  about  one  year.  The  house  was  made  of  logs, 
with  the  ground  for  a  floor,  split  logs  for  seats  and  the  chil- 
dren's knees  for  desks.  In  his  early  manhood  he  assisted 
his  father  in  driving  hogs  to  Racine,  W^is.,  and  sheep  to  St. 
Louis,  Mo.  In  his  twenty-second  year  he  helped  a  neighbor 
drive  a  herd  of  cattle  to  the  New  York  City  market,  and 
again  in  the  following  year,  1845.  It  was  he  who  led  the 
largest  ox  before  the  drove.  The  time  required  for  the 
round  trip  was  130  days — one  hundred  in  going  and  thirty 


BIOGRAPHIES  489 

in  returning.  His  pay  was  twelve  dollars  per  calendar 
month.  Such  experiences  cultivated  his  inbred  industry  and 
thrift,  taught  him  independence  of  judgment  and  self- 
reliance,  and  developed  his  sagacity,  courage  and  force.  By 
commendable  methods  as  farmer  and  stockman,  he  accumu- 
lated good  property  and  Hved  a  long  and  useful  life.  He 
was  an  open  foe  of  the  organized  liquor  traffic,  a  helpful 
friend  of  our  college  and  a  sincere  disciple  of  our  Lord. 
His  life  is  a  heritage  to  his  children  and  his  children's 
children. 

0.  A.  Burgess. 

Thompson,  Conn.,  1829.  1882,  Chicago,  111. 

Mr.  Burgess  came  of  Puritan  stock.  His  mother  trained 
him  in  the  straitest  thought  of  Calvinism.  Her  death 
came  in  1843,  which  led  the  son  to  seek  the  Lord.  He 
failed  to  receive  the  blessing  at  the  ^'mourners'  bench"  and 
turned  away  from  religion,  believing  himself  given  over  to 
hardness  of  heart  or  predestined  to  be  damned.  He  attended 
Norwich  Academy,  New  York,  and  came  to  Metamora,  111., 
in  1847,  where  he  taught  three  years.  He  became  a  Chris- 
tian in  1850  under  the  ministry  of  Henry  D.  Palmer.  Shortly 
he  went  to  Bethany  College,  reaching  there  with  $4.50,  but 
by  resourceful  labors  graduated  in  1854.  His  life  thereafter 
was  passed  in  Illinois  and  Indiana,  where  he  served  as 
teacher  in  Eureka  and  president  of  Butler  College,  pastor 
of  churches  and  as  a  mighty  champion  and  triumphant 
defender  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel  against  all  opposers. 

Thomas  D.  Butler. 

Shrewsbury,  England,  1838. 

The  chief  event  of  Mr.  Butler's  childhood  was  a  visit  of 
Alexander  Campbell  to  his  native  city  in  1847.  It  was  then 
arranged  that  Thomas  should  be  sent  to  Bethany  College 
in  a  few  years.  But  his  father  dying  soon,  postponed  the 
visit  of  the  son  until  he  reached  his  majority.  In  1859  he 
spent  sixty  days   and  nights   in   crossing  the   Atlantic.     Mr. 


490  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Butler  has  done  but  little  ministerial  work  in  Illinois  except 
in  a  general  way.  He  served  for  a  time  the  church  at 
Batavia  and  on  the  editorial  staff  of  the  Christian  Century. 
He  is  widely  known  as  a  writer,  his  contributions  having 
appeared  many  times  in  the  Millennial  Harbinger,  New  York 
Independent,  Christian  Standard  and  other  papers.  He  is  a 
man  of  fine  mental  and  spiritual  culture.  His  literary  taste 
is  discriminating  and  refined.  His  wife,  Marie  Radclifte 
Butler,  was  for  a  long  period  well  known  as  a  charming 
writer.  Mr.  Butler  firmly  believes  the  gospel  as  it  is  writ- 
ten in  the  Book. 

W.  F.  Burn  ham. 

Chapin,  111.,  187L 

Educated  in  public  schools,  Illinois  College  and  graduated 
at  Eureka  in  1895.  He  learned  telegraphy  and  worked  at  the 
business  in  Illinois  and  Montana  for  a  period  of  five  years. 
He  served  as  pastor  in  Carbondale,  Charleston,  Decatur 
Central,  and  is  now  with  the  First  in  Springfield.  In  Mr. 
Burnham  are  combined  the  qualities  of  a  successful  minister. 
He  is  the  secretary  of  the  National  Commission  on  Christian 

Judge  Albert  G.  Burr. 

Western  New  York,  1829.  1882,  Carrollton,  111. 

Was  brought  by  his  widowed  mother  to  Illinois  in  1830. 
The  first  home  was  near  Springfield.  Fie  was  almost  entirely 
a  self-educated  man.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  taught  a 
school  at  Vandalia.  In  1850  he  went  to  Winchester  and  in 
1856  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  served  two  terms  in  the 
Legislature  and  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention of  1862.  In  1868  he  moved  to  Carrollton,  where  he 
resided  till  the  close  of  his  life.  Fle  was  a  member  of  the 
fortieth  and  forty-first  Congresses.  In  1877  he  was  elected 
circuit  judge,  and  served  in  this  position  till  the  day  of  his 
final  victory.  As  a  jurist,  Mr.  Burr  was  eminent  and  had 
few  equals.  His  analyses  of  intricate  questions  were  clear 
and  explicit  and  his  decisions  satisfactory.  As  an  orator  he 
was  well-nigh  perfect.     In  his   early  years   he   entered  the 


BIOGRAPHIES  491 

Christian  Church,  and  to  the  close  of  his  Hfe  he  was  not 
only  a  member,  but  a  support  and  an  inspiration.  When 
there  was  no  other  one  present  in  the  Lord's  Day  meetings 
to  preach,  he  proclaimed  the  unsearchable  riches.  While  he 
filled  high  positions  and  was  the  peer  of  any  man,  he  was 
not  in  the  least  ostentatious  or  distant.  He  had  a  genuine 
affection  for  and  was  intimately  associated  with  the  common 
people.  As  man  and  jurist  he  made  it  the  rule  of  his  life 
to  do  justly  and  love  mercy.  He  frequently  expressed  him- 
self in  verse.    The  following  was  written  by  him  about  1852: 

LIFE'S   VOYAGE. 

Though  waves  may  swell  and  billows  rise, 
And  threatening  clouds  hang  o'er  the  skies, 

O'er  me  and  mine — 
Though  driven  on  where  breakers  roar, 
And  ragged  rocks  surround  the  shore, 

I'll  not  repine. 

Though  riding  on  the  maddened  wave, 
To  time  and  circumstance  a  slave, 

I'll  bear  my  lot; 
I'll  raise  aloft  religion's  sail. 
And  strive  to  ride  throughout  the  gale, 

And  falter  not. 

Though  friends  upon  the  sea  of  life 
Are  from  my  bosom  torn  in  strife. 

And  by  the  swell 
Of  ocean  wave,  borne  from  my  side, 
I'll  bid  them  with  a  stoic's  pride 

A  long  farewell. 

Though  all  desert  me  in  the  gloom 
And  leave  me  o'er  life's  sea  to  roam 

Without  one  friend. 
Still  I  will  always  onward  keep. 
Triumphant  o'er  the  raging  deep, 
Till  life  shall  end. 

Alexander  Campbell. 

Was  born  Sept.  12,  1788,  in  the  County  of  Antrim,  Ire- 
land. He  was  descended  from  Scotch  and  Huguenot  ances- 
tors.   Both  his  physical  and  mental  constitution  was  vigorous 


492  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN   ILLINOIS 

and  well  balanced.  From  his  earliest  years  he  was  trained 
by  his  learned  and  accomplished  father  in  habits  of  severe 
application.  Fle  was  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Glas- 
gow. Reared  in  the  strictest  school  of  Presbyter^anism,  he 
early  formed  and  cultivated  habits  of  piety  and  a  taste  for 
theological  studies.  From  his  youth  he  had  a  profound 
reverence  for  the  word  of  God. 

He  came  to  .\merica  in  1809  and  joined  his  father, 
Thomas  Campbell,  in  western  Pennsylvania.  From  that 
time  father  and  son  were  one  in  their  aims,  spirit  and  work. 
Both  were  deeply  impressed  with  the  conviction  of  the  evils 
and  inherent  sinfulness  of  sectarianism.  Their  first  advocacy 
was  the  repudiation  of  human  creeds  as  tests  of  fellowship, 
and  the  union  of  all  our  Lord's  people  upon  the  catholic 
truth  of  the  Bible  as  the  only  authoritative  standard  of 
faith  and  practice.  Taking  their  stand  upon  the  principles 
set  forth  in  the  "Declaration  and  Address,"  neither  foresaw 
the  conclusions  to  which  he  would  be  led.  They  and  those 
associated  with  them  searched  the  Scriptures  as  free  as  pos- 
sible from  party  bias.  From  these  investigations  they  con- 
cluded that  sprinkling  for  baptism  and  infant  membership 
in  the  church  were  unauthorized  of  God.  They  were  there- 
fore accordingly  immersed  and  united  with  the  Regular  Bap- 
tists. It  was  stipulated,  however,  that  they  should  not  be 
required  to  subscribe  to  any  creed  or  articles  of  faith  other 
than  the  Bible.  After  a  few  years  in  this  fellowship  they 
found  it  prudent  to  withdraw.  There  were  prejudiced  and 
intolerant  men  who  held  a  leading  influence  in  the  Redstone 
Association  who  were  unwilling  to  break  from  the  Baptist 
name,  creed  and  traditions.  They  stirred  up  fierce  opposi- 
tion against  those  who  stood  for  the  catholic  truth  of  the 
New  Testament.  Hence  the  Campbells,  and  others  who  held 
to  the  principles  of  the  ''Declaration  and  Address,"  cut  loose 
from  their  religious  connections  and  entered  untrammeled 
upon  the  advocacy  and  the  defense  of  the  plea  for  the  return 
to  primitive  Christianity. 

Alexander  Campbell  died  in  1866. 


BIOGRAPHIES  493 

John  G.  Campbell, 

Bourbon  County,  Ky.,  1813.         1901,  Bloomington,  111. 

Mr.  Campbell  became  a  Christian  at  North  Middleton, 
Ky.,  in  1832.  In  1834  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sally  Ann 
Campbell,  who  was  the  partner  of  his  faithful  labors  for 
almost  sixty-seven  years. 

He  passed  one  year  as  a  student  in  the  State  University 
at  Bloomington,  Ind. 

In  1849  he  came  to  McLean  County,  and  bought  and 
settled  upon  a  small  farm  five  miles  south  of  Bloomington. 
This  he  made  his  home  for  twenty- four  years.  His  first 
residence  there  was  a  log  cabin.  With  the  proceeds  of  his 
labor  on  his  land  he  supported  his  family. 

He  began  to  preach  the  gospel  about  1840,  and  made 
this  the  chief  business  of  his  life  until  incapacitated  by  the 
disabilities  of  age.  This  work  was  done  mainly  at  his  own 
charges.  In  1853,  in  the  schoolhouse  of  his  community,  he 
organized  a  church  of  thirteen  people,  which  he  named  the 
Grassy  Ridge  Christian  Church.  Here,  by  his  faithful  and 
loving  ministry,  hundreds  were  turned  to  the  Lord.  This 
little  congregation  became  a  mother  of  churches.  Besides, 
at  one  time  during  this  period  there  were  twenty  individuals 
or  families  who  were  members  of  the  church  in  Bloomington, 
who  had  begun  the  Christian  life  at  Grassy  Ridge.  Among 
those  who  came  there  to  preach  on  Mr.  Campbell's  invita- 
tion were  John  I.  Rogers,  B.  K.  Smith,  John  B.  New, 
George  Campbell,  B.  U.  Watkins,  Walter  P.  Bowles,  James 
Robeson,  Dudley  Downs,  James  Mitchell,  G.  W.  Minier,  T. 
V.  Berry,  B.  B.  Tyler,  Dr.  J.  M.  Allen,  B.  W.  Johnson  and 
D.  R.  Van  Buskirk.  These  ministers  were  usually  enter- 
tained in  Mr.  Campbell's  hospitable  home.  Evidently  he 
believed  in  having  the  very  best  in  the  kingdom. 

He  was  a  man  of  God  in  whom  was  united  a  strong  will 
with  a  gentle  spirit,  self-sacrifice  with  cheerful  hopefulness, 
the  trust  of  a  little  child  with  the  courage  of  a  Daniel,  and 
a  beautiful  simpHcity  and  sincerity  of  life. 


494  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Thomas  Campbell. 

Was  born  in  County  Down,  near  Newry,  Ireland,  Feb.  1, 
1763.  His  father,  Archibald  Campbell,  was  a  soldier  in  the 
British  Army  under  General  Wolfe  and  was  at  the  capture 
of  Quebec.  He  was  a  strict  member  of  the  Episcopal 
Church.  But  its  rigid  formalities  repelled  the  son,  Thomas, 
in  his  early  life.  He  found  more  congenial  associations 
among  the  warm-hearted  and  zealous  Seceders — the  body  of 
the  Presbyterians  that  had  separated  from  the  established 
church  of  Scotland  in  1733.  He  was  educated  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Glasgow.  In  1787  he  was  married  to  Miss  Jane 
Cooneigle,  a  descendant  of  the  French  Huguenots.  She  was 
a  woman  of  fine  mental  and  moral  endowments.  From  his 
early  manhood,  Thomas  Campbell  was  a  reverent  and  earnest 
student  of  the  Bible.  Upon  the  completion  of  his  theological 
course,  he  became  a  minister  in  the  Scotch  Seceder  Church, 
with  the  full  credentials  of  the  Christian  ministry.  After 
one  pastorate,  he  came  to  America  in  1807  and  settled  in 
western  Pennsylvania.  There  he  found  many  of  his  friends 
who  had  preceded  him  to  this  country.  At  once  he  began 
to  preach  to  them.  Flis  charitable  spirit  and  able  expositions 
of  Scripture  drew  around  him  the  pious  of  different 
churches.  There  were  no  reasons  for  the  separation  of  these 
sheep  in  that  new  country,  but  rather  many  for  their  union 
in  public  worship  and  Christian  work  on  Bible  principles. 
They  agreed  to  form  an  association  of  Christians  to  meet 
statedly  for  personal  advancement  in  knowledge  and  duty. 
Thus  came  into  being  the  ''Christian  Association"  of  Wash- 
ington, Pa.  Under  its  auspices  the  "Declaration  and  Ad- 
dress," written  by  Thomas  Campbell,  was  issued  in  1809. 
For  its  catholicity,  its  exaltation  of  the  word  of  God,  its 
clear  statement  of  the  only  ground  of  practical  Christian 
union,  its  recognition  of  the  sole  and  supreme  authority  of 
our  Lord  the  Christ,  it  was  a  remarkable  production.  In 
significance  it  ranks  with  the  ninety-five  theses  that  Luther 
nailed  upon  the  gate  of  the  church  at  Wittenberg. 


BIOGRAPHIES  495 

Thomas  Campbell  lived  a  full  century  in  advance  of  his 
generation.  He  was  a  rare  and  beautiful  soul.  In  him  the 
vital  elements  of  Christ's  gospel  united  in  charming  fruition. 
At  the  age  of  ninety-one  he  passed  on. 

W.  H.  Cannon, 

Near   Pittsfield,   111.,    1862. 

Grew  up  on  the  farm.  Educated  in  the  public  schools, 
Eureka  College  and  Drake  University.  Has  been  pastor  at 
Sterling,  Illiopolis,  Lincoln  (two  terms),  Lexington,  Eureka, 
Chapin,  Pittsfield,  and  now  at  Central  in  Decatur.  Mr.  Can- 
non is  a  man  of  very  clear  perception  and  a  superior  min- 
ister. 

IV.  R.  Carle. 

In  1870,  Mr.  Carle  was  elected  to  the  lower  house  of  the 
twenty-seventh  Legislature  of  Illinois  on  the  Democratic 
ticket.  He  was  a  successful  business  man  and  accumulated 
much  property.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Wapella  Church, 
which  town  was  his  home.  In  religion  he  was  conservative, 
but  held  that  Christians  should  pay  one-tenth  of  their  income 
to  the  Lord's  work.  He  did  something  for  two  of  our  col- 
leges in  his  last  years.  He  was  never  married,  and  for  many 
years  made  his  home  with  his  uncle  and  aunt,  Joshua  and 
Margaret  Carle.  They  were  natives  of  West  Virginia  and 
were  immersed  by  Alexander  Campbell. 

Joshua  Carle  claimed  that  he  was  the  first  among  the 
pioneers  to  "publicly  teach  the  universal  priesthood  of  all 
believers." 

Thomas  Carlin. 

Near  Frankfort,  Ky.,  1789.  1852,  Illinois. 

Came  to  Illinois  in  1812,  settling  near  Carrollton.  He 
was  twice  elected  to  the  State  Senate.  Commanded  a  bat- 
talion in  the  Black  Hawk  War.  Was  elected  Governor  of 
the  State  in  1848,  serving  four  years.  Historians  say  he  was 
one  of  the  best  Governors  the  State  ever  had.  Mr.  Carlin 
was  a  member  of  the  church  of  Christ  in  Quincy. 


496  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

W.  P.  Carrithers. 

Sullivan  County,  Ind.,  1829. 

Came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois  in  1847.  Educated  in 
the  public  school.  Served  in  the  ministry  for  forty  years. 
His  preaching  was  mainly  in  Livingston,  Marshall,  Ford  and 
McLean  Counties,  but  he  also  worked  in  Missouri,  Iowa  and 
Nebraska.  Mr.  Carrithers  is  a  gentle,  earnest  and  faithful 
man  whose  ministry  was  distinctly  constructive.  His  home 
is  at  Saunemin,  where  he  quietly  awaits  the  day  of  his  coro- 
nation. 

John  Chandler. 

Was  born  near  Cynthiana,  Ky.,  March  25,  1822,  and  is 
now  (1913)  a  resident  of  Decatur,  111.  His  early  education 
was  such  as  was  afforded  by  the  winter  country  schools  of 
Kentucky  and  Ohio  at  that  time. 

Crawford  County,  HI.,  was  organized  in  1817.  Coles 
County  was  cut  out  of  Crawford  in  1831,  and  Douglas 
County  was  cut  out  oi  Coles  in  1857.  Mr.  Chandler  came 
to  what  is  now  Douglas  County  in  1838.  Here  he  became 
a  schoolteacher  and  an  official.  Before  the  division  of  Coles 
County,  he  served  as  assessor  and  treasurer;  after  the 
division,  he  was  deputy  sheriff,  then  served  as  county  clerk 
two  and  one-half  years  by  appointment,  and  the  next  four 
years  by  an  election  in  Douglas  County.  He  was  in  the 
Mexican   War. 

Mr.  Chandler  was  the  presiding  moderator  in  the  debate 
between  David  Walk  and  the  M.  E.  attorney  at  Tuscola  in 
1863.  Shortly  thereafter,  he  became  a  Christian.  When  the 
little  congregation  needed  a  house  of  worship,  he  furnished 
$3,450  of  the  $3,800  that  it  cost.  He  never  received  any 
money  returned.  The  building  was  a  two-story  frame.  Mr. 
Walk  said  that  his  wife  would  conduct  a  ''dav  school"  on  the 
first  floor,  but  this  aim  was  not  realized.  The  most  of  Mr. 
Chandler's  many  years  were  passed  on  his  farm.  He  has 
lived  a  long,  an  honorable  and  a  useful  life — a  public-spirited 
and  intelligent  gentleman. 


BIOGRAPHIES  497 

Bernard  J.  Claggett. 

Lexington,  111.,   1861. 

Educated  at  Wesleyan.  Farmer  and  banker.  Served  as 
mayor  of  Lexington  and  in  the  House  of  the  Legislature; 
elected  in  1892.  Long  time  a  member  of  the  Lexington 
Church. 

/.  5'.  Clements. 

Edgar  County,  111.,   1856. 

His  grandmother,  Mary  Holland,  came  out  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  with  Barton  W.  Stone  at  Caneridge,  Ky., 
and  his  mother  was  baptized  by  Maurice  R.  Trimble  in 
southern  Illinois.  He  grew  up  on  the  farm,  attended  the 
public  schools  and  was  five  years  at  Eureka.  He  has  been 
in  the  ministry  thirty-eight  years,  an  energetic  pastor  and 
successful  evangelist  in  Illinois,  Missouri  and  Kansas,  hav- 
ing added  near  ten  thousand  members  to  the  churches.  His 
single  purpose  has  been  to  preach  the  pure  gospel  and  follow 
the  Master.  'Tf  I  had  my  life  to  live  over  again,  I  would 
do  just  what  I  have  done,  barring  a  few  mistakes." 

L.  E.  Chase. 

Coolville,  O.,  1876. 

Grew  up  on  the  farm.  Attended  the  country  school,  the 
village  hieh  school,  Hiram  College  and  the  University  of 
Illinois.  Tausfht  school  at  nineteen.  The  first  year  of  his 
married  life  he  worked  on  a  farm  and  preached  to  weak 
churches  in  Ohio.  For  this  service,  he  received  twenty-five 
cents  in  money  and  much  valuable  experience.  Then  he  went 
to  a  small  church  in  Michigan  for  full  time  at  $300  per 
year.  While  there,  the  advice  and  encourasrement  given  him 
by  A.  P.  Frost,  the  father  of  Miss  Adelaide  Frost,  were 
worth  as  much  to  him  as  years  of  college  work.  After  five 
years  in  Michig^an,  he  came  to  Illinois,  where  he  has  served 
the  churches  at  Armino^ton,  Leroy,  Carbondale,  New  Bed- 
ford and  Palmvra.  He  was  converted  in  a  little  country  M. 
E.  church.    While  he  never  joined  the  church,  his  Methodist 


498  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

brethren  treated  him  most  fraternally.  He  has  helped  in  the 
building  of  three  houses  of  worship,  and  h;.s  received  more 
than  two  thousand  into  the  church. 

A,  P.  Cobb. 

Wooster,  O.,  1853. 

Mr.  Cobb's  family  came  to  Decatur  in  1867.  Here  he 
attended  school,  and  while  in  his  teens  learned  the  machinist 
trade.  He  was  strong  in  body  and  vigorous  in  mind,  and 
made  good  progress  in  both  lines  of  work.  In  those  years 
he  was  in  the  school  of  adversity  as  well.  Graduating  at 
Eureka  in  1878,  he  entered  the  ministry.  As  a  pastor  he 
served  the  church  at  Normal  two  periods,  at  Springfield  six 
years,  at  Des  Moines,  la.,  and  San  Antonio,  Tex.  For  ten 
years  he  served  as  an  efficient  evangelist  in  the  United  States 
and  Canada.  He  held  successful  meetings  in  Boston,  New 
York  City,  Minneapolis  and  other  great  centers.  For  four- 
teen years  he  has  been  the  platform  manager  at  summer 
Chautauquas.  In  him  industry,  large  energy  and  capacity 
for  work,  with  thirst  for  knowledge  and  wide  readings,  have 
united  in  producing  a  scholar  of  more  than  average  attain- 
ments. 

The  Connors. 

James  Connor  was  born  in  Tennessee  in  1810,  was  brought 
to  Indiana  in  1812,  and  died  there  in  1893.  His  ministry  in 
Illinois  reached  only  from  1859-65.  He  resided  on  his  farm 
near  Humboldt.  That  was  the  time  of  monthly  preaching 
and  protracted  meetings.  He  worked  in  Coles,  Moultrie  and 
Douglas  Counties.  He  was  a  preacher  for  more  than  sixty 
years. 

S.  M.  Connor  was  a  son  of  James  Connor.  He  served 
the  Normal  Church  two  terms  and  the  churches  at  Girard 
and  Virden.  His  period  of  work  in  Illinois  was  from 
1878-88.  In  laying  the  foundation  of  the  church  at  Normal 
he  stood  brave  and  firm  against  bitter  sectarian  opposition. 

Daniel  Connor,  a  brother  of  James,  resided  in  Cumber- 


BIOGRAPHIES  499 

land  County   for  about  thirty  years,   and  preached  in  that 
part  of  the  State. 

Johi  H.  Coats, 

A  preacher  for  many  years  and  a  long-time  elder  of  the 
church  in  Winchester.  Military  service  in  Company  A, 
Sixty-eighth,  and  Company  K,  Fourteenth  Illinois  X'olunteer 
Infantry.  Captured  and  several  months  a  prisoner  in  Ander- 
sonville.  Treasurer  of  Scott  County  for  several  years,  mem- 
ber of  the  Illinois  Legislature  in  1882,  and  Presidential 
elector  in  1896. 

Nathan  E.  Cory. 

Ohio,  1837. 

Mr.  Cory  attended  the  Baptist  College  at  Franklin,  Ind., 
and  Oskaloosa  College,  la.  He  was  a  lay  preacher  in  the 
Methodist  Church  before  uniting  with  the  Christian  Church 
in  1857.  Besides  holding  a  great  number  of  meetings  in 
Illinois,  he  served  the  churches  at  Monmouth,  Virginia,  Mt. 
Sterling,  Barry,  Colchester  and  Augusta.  He  has  been  a 
faithful  preacher  of  the  word  of  God  and  his  ministry  has 
always  been  constructive.  Between  four  and  five  thousand 
people  were  added  to  the  church  in  Illinois  by  his  labors. 
He  is  father  of  A.  E.  Cory,  a  missionary  in  China. 

John  J.  Cosat. 

Vermillion  County,  111.,   1844. 

Grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm,  receiving  only  such  edu- 
cation as  the  common  schools  of  the  time  could  give  him. 
Returning  to  civil  life  in  the  summer  of  1865,  he  began  as  a 
teacher  in  the  public  school,  in  which  he  continued  for  about 
thirty  years.  He  became  a  Christian  in  1866,  and  four  years 
thereafter  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  by  the  old  Union 
Church  and  the  venerable  Rolla  M.  Martin.  Since  then  he 
has  preached  almost  continually  on  Saturdays  and  Sundays, 
much  of  the  time  without  financial  compensation.  Fie  has 
fostered  weak  congregations,  brou,2;ht  into  the  kingdom  about 
three  thousand  people,  organized  churches  and  endured  hard- 


500  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

ness  as  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ.  Mr.  Cosat's  is  a 
peaceable  disposition,  but  he  has  always  been  ready  to  defend 
the  truth.  Being  invited  there  in  1893,  he  held  two  public 
discussions  in  Labette  County,  Kan.,  with  Priest  Peter  Fer- 
rell,  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  The  propositions  were 
the  following:  'The  Holy  Scriptures  alone  furnish  all  the 
necessary  knowledge  to  obtain  pardon  and  everlasting  life," 
and,  "To  pray  acceptably  to  God,  our  prayers  should  be 
addressed  to  the  Holy  Virgin,  saints  and  angels."  In  1895 
he  debated  the  question  of  instrumental  music  in  public  wor- 
ship with  Min.  William  Elmore,  at  Bismark,  and  in  1898  the 
same  question  with  Min.  J.  W.  Perkins,  at  Georgetown.  Mr. 
Cosat  has  stood  for  better  things  in  Christian  life,  and  his 
ministry  has  been  a  very  great  help  to  the  congregations  in 
Vermilion  County. 

His  military  record  was  one  of  unusual  brilliancy  and 
thrilling  to  a  degree.  Being  away  from  home  on  a  visit,  at 
the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War,  he  enlisted  in  the  Fifth  Wis- 
consin Infantry.  He  was  under  the  command  of  General 
Sheridan  at  Harper's  Ferry,  Martinsburg,  Winchester  and 
Cedar  Creek ;  later,  under  General  Meade  at  Petersburg, 
Sailor's  Creek  and  on  to  Appomattox.  On  the  morning  of 
Apr.  6,  1865,  Lie.:tenant-General  Ewell  had  placed  his  corps 
in  rifle-pits  on  the  brow  of  a  hill  south  of  Sailor's  Creek. 
This  Confederate  force  was  savagely  and  simultaneously 
assaulted  by  the  Second  and  Sixth  Federal  Corps,  and  with 
such  skill  and  determination  as  to  virtually  destroy  it.  In 
this  assault,  Mr.  Cosat  and  five  of  his  comrades  were  sepa- 
rated from  their  regiment,  with  the  Confederate  forces 
between  them.  The  official  report  of  Thomas  S.  Allen, 
colonel  in  command  of  the  regiment,  War  Records,  History 
of  Appomattox  Campaign,  page  953,  gives  the  names  of  the 
six  men ;  to-wit :  Sergeant  Aneus  Cameron,  Corporals 
Charles  Rous^han  and  Ausrust  Brocker,  and  Private  John  W. 
Davis,  of  ComDany  C,  and  Corporal  John  J.  Cosat  and  Pri- 
vate Herod  W.  True,  of  Company  I,  all  of  the  Fifth  Wis- 
consin Volunteer  Infantry.      Sergeant    Cameron    suggested 


BIOGRAPHIES  501 

that  they  try  to  capture  General  Ewell.  The  six  men  ran 
across  an  open  field  and  took  position  in  a  fence  row  that 
had  grown  up  in  dense  brush.  The  sergeant  crawled  to  the 
end  of  this,  and  reported  that  General  Ewell,  his  staff  and 
body-guard,  probably  a  hundred  in  all,  were  riding  directly 
toward  them.  The  sergeant  ordered  that,  when  the  Confed- 
erates came  within  hearing  distance,  they  move  in  single  file 
with  cocked  guns  out  of  the  brush — the  sixth  man  stopping 
at  the  edge — and  he  himself  would  demand  the  surrender. 
General  Ewell,  thus  completely  surprised  and  supposing  there 
were  many  Federals  concealed  in  the  brush,  at  once  ordered 
his  adjutant-general  (Beglar)  to  unfurl  the  white  flag,  which 
he  did.  Shortly  thereafter  this  immortal  six  had  the  honor 
of  presenting  to  General  Meade  this  famous  old,  battle- 
scarred  veteran  of  the  Confederacy,  his  staff  and  body-guard, 
as  prisoners  of  war. 

Walter  R.  Couch. 

Wabash  County,  III,  1839. 

The  parents  of  Walter  R.  Couch  settled  in  Wabash 
County  in  1816.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  became  a  Chris- 
tian at  the  historic  Barney's  Prairie  Church  under  the 
ministry  of  William  Courter,  who  was  one  of  the  faithful 
preachers  of  the  early  days.  When  a  young  man  he  began 
to  preach.  He  graduated  from  Northwestern  Christian  Uni- 
versity, now  Butler  College,  and  thereafter  gave  eleven  years 
to  churches  in  Indiana.  He  then  returned  to  Illinois.  W^hile 
he  managed  his  farm  in  Wabash  County,  his  time  and  talents 
v^ere  mainly  given  to  the  service  of  the  churches  in  that  and 
contiguous  counties.  For  fifty  years  he  has  been  actively 
and  faithfully  identified  with  the  work  of  the  Lord,  and  his 
generous  and  helpful  services  have  been  widely  influential  in 
promoting  every  good  cause. 

William  L.  Crim. 

Washington  County,  Ind.,  1829.  1910,  West  Frank- 
fort, 111. 


502  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

He  taught  school  in  his  neighborhood  and  served  three 
years  in  the  Union  Army  during  the  Civil  War.  He  came 
to  Franklin  County  in  1865,  but  did  not  enter  the  ministry 
till  four  years  later.  Thereafter  his  farm  was  the  center 
from  which  he  radiated  in  all  directions — conducting  meet- 
ings, holding  public  discussions  and  organizing  churches. 
He  was  an  earnest  student  of  the  Bible  itself.  In  preach- 
ing a  sermon  on  ''Sanctification"  he  quoted  130  passages  by 
his  memory,  as  shown  by  a  stenographic  report.  His  knowl- 
edge of  the  Scriptures  was  comprehensive  and  profound ; 
his  sermons  clear,  forceful  and  impressive.  He  lived  close 
to  nature  and  near  to  God. 

Daniel  H.  Darling. 

Painesville,  O.,  1834.  1909,  Joliet,  111. 

Was  educated  in  the  schools  of  his  native  town.  His 
life-work  was  teaching  and  training  the  young.  Before 
reaching  his  majority  he  began  his  work  at  Toledo,  O.  Next, 
he  was  principal  of  the  school  at  Lockport,  111.,  for  three 
years,  and  then  superintendent  of  schools  in  Joliet  up  to  the 
beginning  of  the  Civil  War.  He  returned  to  this  position  in 
1882,  and  continued  therein  till  1896,  v/hen  failing  health 
compelled  his  retirement.  His  fine  character  left  imperish- 
able impressions  upon  the  multitudes  of  children. 

He  was  rejected,  because  of  his  size,  by  the  recruiting 
officer  in  Chicago  in  1861.  Then  he  went  to  Michigan, 
where,  receiving  authority  from  the  Governor,  he  raised 
Company  C  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry.  He  was  engaged  in  all 
the  campaigns  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  participated 
in  many  battles.  He  was  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  but  would 
not  leave  the  field  till  the  battle  ended.  After  the  close  of 
the  Civil  War  he  continued  in  the  military  service  on  the 
Western  plains  ap^ainst  the  Indians.  There  he  was  colonel 
in  command,  and  helped  in  opening  the  Overland  Mail  Route 
to  California.     He  retired  bv  reason  of  broken  health. 

Mr.  Darlinsf  entered  Christ's  service  in  early  life,  and 
was  active  and  earnest  therein  to  its  close.     In  Joliet  he 


BIOGRAPHIES  503 

worked  and  worshiped  with  the  Baptist  Church  until  he 
thought  the  time  had  come  to  form  a  congregation  after  the 
New  Testament  pattern.  He  was  its  leader  and  support  in 
every  way. 

William  Davenport. 

Jessamine  County,  Ky.,  1797.     1869,  Nebraska  City,  Neb. 

Mr.  Davenport  was  a  man  of  large  physical,  mental  and 
spiritual  strength.  He  became  a  lawyer,  and  his  fine  pres- 
ence and  oratorical  powers  gave  promise  of  a  brilliant  career. 
In  early  life  he  united  with  the  Baptist  Church,  but,  hearing 
the  advocates  of  the  primitive  gospel,  he  was  captivated  by 
the  simplicity  and  Scripturalness  of  their  teaching.  He  then 
united  with  the  church  of  Christ  and  entered  its  ministry 
with  characteristic  enthusiasm.  He  came  with  his  family  to 
Walnut  Grove  (Eureka)  in  1835.  There  he  settled  on  his 
farm,  but  his  life's  work  was  preaching  the  gospel,  of  which 
he  was  a  powerful  advocate.  His  public  ministry  reached 
many  places,  both  near  and  far,  in  Illinois  and  was  greatly 
blessed.  He  was  also  one  of  the  leaders  in  founding  the 
school  at  Eureka,  and,  having  married  a  sister  of  Ben  Major, 
helped  to  cast  that  community  in  a  superior  mold. 

Miss  Elmira  J.  Dickinson. 

Hopkinsville,  Ky.,  1831.  1912,  Eureka,  111. 

Few  women  in  Illinois  exerted  a  wider  or  better  influence 
on  her  generation  than  Miss  Dickinson.  Her  father  brought 
her  in  1835,  with  his  family,  to  Walnut  Grove,  now  Eureka. 
This  was  her  place  of  residence  throughout  her  life.  She 
was  in  almost  all  of  her  Christian  service  a  true  pioneer. 
Beginning  her  teaching  with  the  ''little  ones"  in  the  academy, 
she  continued  her  work  in  the  classroom  through  twenty- 
nine  years.  She  was  actively  associated  with  the  Woman's 
Christian  Temperance  Union,  and  traveled  in  its  interest 
during  its  formative  period  for  five  years.  It  was  her  desire 
to  serve  in  some  foreign  mission  field,  and,  as  the  Disciples 
of  Christ  had  not  then  reached  this  point  in  their  growth, 


504  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Miss  Dickinson  asked  the  Baptists  to  send  her  out.  They 
could  not  accept  her  unless  she  would  become  a  Baptist, 
which  she  could  not  do.  The  Woman's  Union  Missionary 
Society  of  New  York  were  financially  unable  to  send  her. 
Thus  was  she  providentially  kept  at  home  for  a  larger 
service.  She  became  the  founder  and  leader  of  the  Chris- 
tian Woman's  Board  of  Missions  in  Illinois,  and  one  of  the 
most  efficient  co-operants  in  their  national  society.  Her  self- 
imposed  task  of  laying  the  foundation  of  this  work  in  Illinois 
was  a  most  difficult  one.  As  a  missionary  advocate  and  edu- 
cator she  was  an  unwelcome  visitor  in  many  places.  Not  a 
few  wished  that  she  would  pass  them  by.  She  was  keenly 
sensitive  to  all  this  uninformed  indifference  and  crass  oppo- 
sition, but  with  a  divine  vision  she  bore  it  all  and  worked  on. 
The  years  vindicated  her  wisdom,  and  a  multitude  of 
Christly  women  now  rejoice  in  the  magnificent  results  and 
move  forward.  Her  life  was  thoroughly  devoted,  and  her 
moral  courage  the  finest.  She  was  a  true  handmaid  of  the 
Lord,  whose  work  will  survive  all  the  mutations  of  time. 

Dudley  Downs . 

Edgar  County,  111.,  1838.  1869,  Minnesota. 

Mr.  Downs'  parental  inheritance  was  excellent.  He  went 
to  school  in  the  country  and  at  Paris.  He  entered  the  Chris- 
tian ministry  early  in  life.  After  one  year  in  Pennsylvania, 
he  returned  to  Illinois,  where  his  work  was  chiefly  done.  Pie 
served  at  Wapella  and  Clinton,  and  was  State  Evangelist  for 
several  years.  Also,  he  helped  edit  a  monthly  Christian 
paper  for  several  years. 

Mr.  Downs  was  a  man  of  sweet  spirit  and  gentle  dispo- 
sition, but  he  was  full  of  moral  courage  and  energy.  He 
was  wholly  consecrated  to  his  work  and  wore  himself  out 
in  it  all  too  soon. 

IV.  F,  Eastman. 

New  York,  1847.  1909,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Eastman  received  a  liberal  education  in  his  native 
State  and  was  for  a  time  a  schoolmaster  there.     He  was  well 


BIOGRAPHIES  SOS 

read  and  versatile.  He  became  a  Disciple  from  intelligent 
conviction,  and  throughout  his  life  was  as  true  to  his  ideals 
as  the  needle  to  the  pole.  In  him,  gentleness  and  firmness 
were  united  so  as  to  remind  one  of  his  Master.  His  esti- 
mable wife  was  an  earnest  Congregationalist,  so  that  his 
church  life  was  lived  alone.  In  a  modest  but  becoming  man- 
ner he  always  showed  his  colors.  Every  one  that  knew  him 
knew  that  he  was  a  member  of  the  church  of  Christ.  He 
was  the  prime  mover  in  the  formation  of  the  church  at  Ster- 
ling. Thereafter,  he  went  West,  and,  by  a  mistake  in  judg- 
ment in  business,  he  lost  not  only  the  means  he  had  accumu- 
lated, but  was  left  heavily  involved.  He  then  came  to 
Moline,  111.,  and  engaged  in  the  newspaper  business.  This 
paper  he  made  one  of  the  most  influential  in  northern  Illinois. 
Again  he  took  his  own  place  in  planting  a  church  of  Christ 
in  that  city  as  its  sustaining  force.  He  was  serving  as  post- 
master there  in  1909.  As  the  end  approached,  he  took  $500 
from  the  bank  and  paid  the  last  dollar  of  indebtedness  that 
he  had  unfortunately  incurred  more  than  twenty  years  before 
that  time.  Then  he  said,  'T  will  never  have  a  home  on  this 
earth,  but  will  have  to  wait  for  a  mansion  in  heaven." 

L.  A^.  Early. 

Boone  County,  Ky.,  1848. 

Attended  public  and  private  schools  at  Petersburg,  Ky. 
Taught  ten  years.  Next,  after  seven  years'  work,  graduated 
with  first  honors  from  the  classical  and  Biblical  schools  of 
Kentucky  University.  Later,  did  work  in  the  University  of 
Missouri,  where  he  received  his  A.M.  degree,  and  at  Har- 
vard. Has  served  the  church  at  Grayville,  Kansas  and  Dan- 
ville Second.     Is  a  good  teacher  and  preacher. 

Caleb  Edzvards. 

Brighton,  England.  1832.  1905,  Quincy,  111. 

Was  brought  to  Cincinnati,  O.,  in  1844,  and  came  to 
Edwards  County  in  1848.  He  did  not  begin  to  preach  till 
1864.     From  that  time  to  the  close  of  his  life  he  gave  him- 


506  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

self  to  a  most  sincere  and  upbuilding  ministry.  He  was 
unassuming,  gentle  and  steadfast,  and  was  loved  by  many 
people.    He  dropped  dead  on  a  street  in  Quincy. 

Daniel  W.  Elledge. 

Bourbon  County,  Ky.,  1813.  1890,  Yoncolla,  Ore. 

Daniel  W.  Elledge  was  one  of  our  true  pioneer  preachers. 
In  1816  his  parents  brought  him  from  Bourbon  County,  Ky., 
to  Edgar  County,  111.  They  were  high  Calvinists,  and  com- 
monly called,  in  the  vernacular  of  the  time,  "Hardshell  Bap- 
tists." They  were  ambitious  to  make  a  Baptist  preacher  of 
this  son,  and  hence  gave  him  unusual  attention.  The  schools 
of  the  community  were  not  of  a  very  high  grade.  Any  man 
who  could  read,  write  and  teach  arithmetic  was  considered 
a  competent  master.  But  young  Elledge  hungered  for 
knowledge,  was  a  keen  observer  and  thoughtful.  In  later 
years,  on  one  of  his  preaching-tours,  he  met  a  college-bred 
minister  who,  after  hearing  him  preach,  said,  "Bro.  Elledge, 
where  did  you  receive  your  education?" 

"Down  in  Edgar  County,  at  the  Big  Creek  Schoolhouse," 

"You  use  good  language  for  one  with  only  a  common- 
school  education." 

Mr.  Elledge  was  a  student  of  the  Bible  from  his  boyhood. 
Shortly  after  his  marriage  in  1831,  Michael  Combs  came  over 
from  Indiana  and  held  a  meeting  in  the  neighborhood.  He 
organized  a  Christian  Church.  Mr.  Elledge  was  one  of  the 
converts  and  soon  thereafter  began  to  preach.  At  first  his 
eflforts  were  poor,  but  he  improved  rapidly.  The  earlier 
years  of  his  ministry  were  confined  mainly  to  Edgar,  Clark 
and  Coles  Counties,  where  he  preached  in  log  cabins  of  the 
people,  in  schoolhouses  and  in  groves.  He  was  a  logical 
reasoner  and  an  earnest  exhorter.  Many  wxre  turned  to  the 
Lord  by  his  preaching.  About  the  year  1833  he  moved  to 
Clark  County,  and  settled  on  a  new  tract  of  land  some  three 
miles  east  of  Dalson  Prairie.  While  he  improved  his  farm 
and  from  it  supported  his  family,  his  preaching  was  stead- 
fastly continued.    About  1836  he  organized  his  home  church, 


BIOGRAPHIES  507 

six  miles  west  of  his  residence  and  three  miles  west  of  Dal- 
son  Prairie.  This  he  named  the  Blue  Grass  Christian 
Church.  Later  he  helped  build  their  house  for  public  wor- 
ship. 

The  path  of  his  ministry  was  marked  by  converts,  con- 
gregations formed  and  their  houses  built.  Not  infrequently 
he  was  associated  with  Nathan  Wright  and  Michael  Combs, 
of  Indiana,  and  Thomas  Goodman,  of  Illinois,  in  what  were 
called  ''Big  Meetings."  And  they  were  big  in  clear-cut 
teaching  of  the  Bible,  big  in  fellowship  and  hospitality,  big 
in  sincerity  and  simplicity,  big  in  Christian  joy  and  help- 
fulness, and  big  in  results,  for  they  were  the  enduring  foun- 
dation of  our  civilization.  They  were  big  in  everything 
except  the  financial  compensation  of  the  preachers.  There 
was  little  money  in  circulation,  and  frequently  these  pioneers 
were  squeamish  about  "taking  pay  for  preaching."  But  the 
pioneer  sisters  knew  that  a  man  needed  food  and  clothing, 
so  every  now  and  then  they  gave  Bro.  Elledge  a  pair  of 
home-made  woolen  socks,  and  on  one  occasion  they  gave 
him  enough  of  homespun  ''Blue  Jeans"  to  make  him  a  pair 
of  trousers.  As  his  physical  weight  had  come  to  be  230 
pounds,  it  is  apparent  that  this  was  a  liberal  donation.  Many 
of  the  early  settlers  kept  a  few  sheep  and  raised  flax  to  make 
their  own  clothing. 

Game  was  plentiful  in  southeastern  Illinois.  At  one 
time  Mr.  Elledge  had  seven  deer  hung  up  in  the  woods.  On 
another  occasion,  having  killed  one  of  these  fine  animals 
about  a  mile  from  his  home,  he  left  it  on  the  ground  till  he 
could  "get  the  old  mare  and  sled  to  haul  it  home."  On  his 
return  he  found  that  a  panther  had  dragged  the  carcass  to 
the  side  of  an  old  log  and  had  covered  it  up  with  leaves. 

While  I\Ir.  Elledge  cleared  and  cultivated  his  land,  he 
carried  a  copy  of  the  New  Testament  in  his  pocket.  When 
he  sat  down  to  rest  he  would  read  it.  At  one  time,  he  was 
preaching  at  the  home  of  Robert  Downs,  father  of  Dudley 
Downs,  in  the  southern  part  of  Edgar  County.  Because  of 
the  crowd  of  people,  the  pren.cher    stood    just    inside    the 


508  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

entrance  door,  and,  turning  around,  he  saw  one  of  Mr. 
Downs'  three  large  hounds  standing  with  his  front  feet  on 
the  threshold,  stretching  his  head  upward.  Quick  as  light- 
ning the  preacher's  big  fist  smote  the  hound's  jaw,  knocking 
him  out  into  the  middle  of  the  yard.  ''My  book  tells  me  to 
beware  of  dogs,"  said  Mr.  Elledge,  and  went  on  with  his 
sermon  as  though  nothing  had  happened. 

In  1853  he  sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  Putnam  County, 
Mo.  He  settled  within  three  miles  of  the  Iowa  State  line. 
In  that  new  country  he  began  his  work  again  as  a  frontier, 
pioneer  farmer  and  preacher.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
stood  alone  in  that  region  as  an  advocate  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment order.  According  to  the  customs  of  the  time,  the 
Methodists  took  pleasure  in  calling  him  "the  fighting  Camp- 
bellite  preacher."  But  in  one  public  discussion  they  learned 
to  respect  him.  His  ministry  in  northern  Missouri  was  sig- 
nally fruitful  in  people  turned  to  the  Lord  and  churches 
constituted. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Elledge  sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  Oregon, 
where  he  continued  his  earnest  ministry  through  the  Grand 
Ronde  Valley,  at  Eugene,  at  Portland,  at  Salem  three  years, 
and  at  various  places  in  the  State  of  Washington. 

When  the  infirmities  of  his  body  became  such  that  he 
could  not  stand  in  preaching,  he  sat  and  taught  the  people 
the  word  of  God.  He  fought  a  good  fight,  he  kept  the 
faith,  and  on  his  little  farm  near  Yoncolla,  Ore.,  in  his  sev- 
enty-fourth year,  he  finished  his  triumphant  course  and  went 
away  to  receive  his  eternal  crown. 

John  Ellis. 

The  vital  data  of  this  good  preacher  failed  to  come  in 
answer  to  earnest  requests.  It  is  probable  that  he  was  asso- 
ciated with  the  Christian  Denomination,  but  he  preached  for 
a  few  of  the  churches  of  Christ  in  Madison  County,  111.,  in 
the  early  seventies.  Later  he  served  some  kindred  cono-rega- 
tions  in  western  Pennsylvania.  He  was  then  an  aeed  and 
feeble  man.     In  answer  to  protests  against  his  holding  to 


BIOGRAPHIES  509 

his  ministry  under  such  conditions,  he  replied  that  he  wished 
to  go  on  to  the  close  of  his  earthly  life.  Let  the  following 
poem  (his  production)  be  his  memorial.  It  was  popular  for 
a  long  period  and  is  worth  preserving. 

The  writer  is  indebted  to  Min.  A.  J.  Carrick,  Montezuma, 
la.,  for  these  copies: 

THE  WHITE  PILGRIM'S  GRAVE. 
(Written  at  Johnsonburg,  N.  J.,  1836.) 

I  came  to  the  spot  where  White  Pilgrim  lay, 

And  pensively  stood  by  his  tomb; 
When,  in  a  low  whisper,  I  heard  something  say: 

"How  sweetly  I  sleep  here  alone. 

"The  tempest  may  howl  and  the  loud  thunders  roll, 

And  gathering  storms  may  arise; 
Yet  calm  are  my  feelings,  at  rest  is  my  soul, 
The  tears  are  all  wiped  from  my  eyes. 

"The  cause  of  my  Master  impelled  me  from  home, 
I  bade  my  companion   farewell : 
I  left  my  sweet  children  who  for  me  now  mourn. 
In  far  distant  regions  to  dwell. 

"I  wandered  an  exile  and  stranger  below, 

To  publish  salvation  abroad ; 
The  trump  of  the  gospel  endeavor  to  blow. 
Inviting  poor  sinners  to  God. 

"But  when  among  strangers,  and  far  from  my  home, 
No  kindred  or  relative  nigh. 
I  met  the  contagion  and  sank  in  the  tomb. 
My  spirit  to  mansions  on  high. 

"Go  tell  my  companion  and  children  most  dear. 

To  weep  not  for  Joseph,  though  gone; 
The  same  hand  that  led  me  through  scenes  dark  and  drear, 
Has  kindly  conducted  me  home." 

REPLY   TO   WHITE   PILGRIM. 
(Written  at  Yellow  Springs,  O.,  1843.) 

I  called  at  the  house  of  the  mourner  below, 

I  entered  the  mansion  of  grief; 
The  tears  of  deep  sorrow  most  freely  did  flow; 

I  tried,  but  could  give  no  relief. 


510         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

There  sat  a  lone  widow,  dejected  and  sad, 

By  affliction  and  sorrow  oppressed; 
And  there  were  her  children  in  mourning  arrayed, 

And  sighs  were  escaping  their  breast. 

I  spoke  to  the  widow  concerning  her  grief, 

I  asked  her  the  cause  of  her  woe ; 
And  if  there  was  nothing  to  give  her  relief. 

Or  soothe  her  deep  sorrows  below. 

She  looked  at  her  children,  then  looked  upon  me 

(That  look  I  shall  never  forget). 
More  eloquent  far  than  a  seraph  could  be; 

It  spoke  of  the  trials  she  met. 

"The  hand  of  affliction  falls  heavily  now, 
I'm  left  with  my  children  to  mourn  ; 
The  friend  of  my  youth  lies  silent  and  low 
In  yonder  cold  graveyard  alone. 

"But  why  should  I  murmur  or  feel  to  complain, 
Or  think  that  my  portion  is  hard? 
Have  I  met  with  affliction?     'Tis  surely  his  gain — 
He  has  entered  the  joy  of  his  Lord." 

M.  R.  Elder. 

Illinois,  1836.  1907,  Harristown,  111. 

Mr.  Elder  was  an  active  and  useful  preacher  in  west- 
central  Illinois  for  forty-five  years.  His  disposition  was 
genial,  his  heart  tender  and  sympathetic,  and  loyalty  to  the 
Lord  supreme. 

Ashley  J.  Elliott. 

Evansville,  Ind.,  1862.  1910,  Peoria,  111. 

Mr.  Elliott  was  a  "railroad  man"  of  fine  mind  and  habits. 
His  business  brought  him  into  contact  with  many  men  and 
its  conduct  was  recognized  as  exceptionally  forceful  and 
efficient.  Without  obtrusiveness,  every  one  who  wished  knew 
where  he  stood.  He  was  never  ashamed  of  his  Master  or 
his  church.  He  hated  intemperance  of  all  kinds,  including 
the  use  of  tobacco.  He  was  resourceful  and  had  perspective 
and  initiative.  To  him  belongs  the  honor  of  first  ''building 
a  church  in  a  day." 


BIOGRAPHIES  Sll 

John  England. 

Kentucky,  1811.  1884,  Illinois. 

John  England  was  a  son  of  Stephen  England.  The 
family  came  into  Sangamon  County  in  1819,  where  Stephen 
England  formed,  in  the  following  year,  the  first  church  of 
Christ  in  central  Illinois.  It  is  now  known  as  the  Cantrall 
Christian   Church. 

John  England's  education  was  very  limited.  He  grew  up 
before  the  schoolhouses  were  built.  What  he  learned,  he 
knew  well.  He  became  a  blacksmith,  wagon-maker,  farmer 
and  preacher.  As  a  minister  he  was  well  and  widely  known 
and  very  useful.  He  moved  with  his  family  to  Logan 
County,  where  he  entered  forty  acres  of  land,  and  as  the 
years  passed  added  to  it  until  he  owned  140  acres,  where  he 
resided  the  larger  part  of  his  life.  This  was  near  Mt. 
Pulaski.  He  preached  at  the  Antioch  Church,  now  Cantrall; 
Athens;  Wolf  Creek,  now  Barclay;  Fancy  Creek,  now  Wil- 
hamsville ;  Mt.  Pulaski,  at  different  places  along  Lake  Fork, 
and  elsewhere.  His  memory  of  the  Scriptures  was  surpris- 
ing. He  always  had  conscientious  scruples  about  taking 
money  for  preaching.  This,  to  some,  was  a  very  wholesome 
doctrine  and  full  of  comfort.  Indeed,  in  everything  Mr. 
England  was  finely  conscientious.  His  son,  A.  T.  England, 
says  that  his  father  was  ''always,  in  his  deals,  afraid  he  would 
get  the  better  of  the  other  fellow."  Further:  *Tf,  in  the 
evening,  the  topic  of  conversation  would  run  upon  anything 
of  a  financial  character,  in  five  to  ten  minutes  he  would  be 
sleeping;  but  if  there  would  be  anything  said  pertaining  to 
the  Scriptures  and  the  life  beyond,  he  would  be  standing  on 
his  feet  in  a  few  minutes  talking.  He  never  seemed  to  be 
the  least  tired  or  skeptical  about  his  hope  for  the  future 
world.  His  mind  was  earnestly  set  on  what  good  he  might 
do  other  people.  I  have  known  him  to  ride  fifteen  miles 
home  after  preaching  at  night  before  he  went  to  bed.  I  used 
to  think  the  people  ,eave  him  such  wonderful  troubles  about 
coming  to  settle  difficulties  in  the  churches.  One  of  the 
sisters  sent  for  him  one  day,  and  when  he  got  there  she  told 


512  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

him  that  she  'had  terribly  fell  out  with  her  man'  and  was  so 
troubled  that  their  little  boy  would  necessarily  'have  the 
husband's  stock  somewhat.'  There  and  then  she  wanted 
father  to  tell  her  if  they  couldn't  cut  one  of  the  boy's  blood- 
veins  and  let  the  husband's  part  of  the  blood  run  out  of  him 
— then  he  would  be  purely  of  her  blood." 

"Uncle  John"  England's  hospitality  was  known  afar  in 
that  day,  when  the  latch-string  always  hung  outside  of  the 
door.  Quoting  again  from  his  son :  ''Billy  Brown,  A.  J. 
Kane,  Walter  Bowles  and  the  Pickrells  from  Mechanicsburg 
would  often  come  to  our  place.  You  better  believe  I  had  a 
hustling  time  taking  care  of  their  horses.  It  didn't  make  any 
difference  what  denomination  a  preacher  was,  we  always 
kept  him  for  nothing.  Sometimes  the  old  folks  would  go 
away,  and  my  older  sister  and  I  concluded  we  would  charge 
the  people  for  staying  all  night.  She  did  the  cooking  and 
I  tended  to  their  horses  and  made  out  their  bills.  The  first 
thing  I  bought  with  my  part  of  the  money  was  a  pair  of 
boots  with  red  on  the  tops.  I  was  ten  years  old,  and  oh,  but 
I  stepped  high,  for  this  was  the  first  pair  of  boots  I  ever 
had.  Father  would  scold  me  like  everything  when  he  got 
home." 

John  England  was  a  true  servant  of  God  and  his  fellow- 
men — self-forgetful,  self-sacrificing  and  supremely  loyal  to 
his  Christian  convictions.  He  died  in  great  hope  of  the  life 
to  come. 

Robert  Seymour  Ensign. 

Dalton,  Mass.,  1836.  1912,  Long  Point,  111. 

Was  of  Puritan  lineage  and  Revolutionary  stock.  Both 
of  his  grandfathers  served  with  distinction  in  the  Colonial 
Army.  He  was  a  manufacturer  of  woolen  goods  and  a 
farmer.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1864,  settling  on  a  farm  near 
Dana.  There  he  was  a  schoolmaster  and  filled  such  civil 
offices  as  he  was  elected  to.  W^hile  yet  a  young  man,  he 
became  a  Christian,  uniting  with  the  Baptist  Church.  He 
united   with   the  church   of   Christ   at   Dana   on   his   coming 


BIOGRAPHIES  513 

there.  Later  he  moved  to  the  vicinity  of  Long  Point.  It 
was  at  his  suggestion  that  the  work  there  was  started  that 
led  to  the  organization  of  the  church  of  Christ.  He  was 
one  of  its  charter  members,  and  was  chosen  one  of  its  first 
elders,  in  which  capacity  he  served  to  the  close  of  his  Hfe. 
He  was  a  modest  and  unassuming  man,  of  abiUty  and  genu- 
ine worth,  and  had  the  moral  courage  to  apply  the  principles 
of  our  Lord's  teachings  to  personal  conduct  in  all  of  life's 
practical  affairs. 

Alfred  Flozver. 

Albion,  111.,  1822.  1907,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Beginning  in  his  early  manhood,  Mr.  P'lower  gave  sixty- 
five  years  to  the  ministry  of  the  gospel.  Most  of  his  work 
was  done  in  IlHnois,  but  he  labored  also  in  Indiana,  Ken- 
tucky, and  in  the  closing  period  of  his  life  in  New  England. 
At  this  time  he  spent  his  winters  in  Florida,  where  he 
preached  continually.  The  church  in  St.  Petersburg  was 
founded  and  fostered  by  him.  In  him,  there  was  a  fine 
correlation  of  mind  and  heart.  He  was  a  man  of  superior 
spiritual  fiber,  broad  culture  and  genuine  sympathies.  His 
expository  sermons  were  interestingly  illustrated  and  most 
helpful.  In  his  prime,  he  often  arose  at  three  or  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning  to  reach  his  appointments,  and  much 
of  his  ministry  was  without  financial  compensation.  His 
faith  was  always  serene  and  his  love  sincere.  His  patience 
never  grew  weary  and  his  enthusiasm  never  faltered.  He 
moved  toward  the  land  of  eternal  dawn  with  the  hopefulness 
of  youth.  He  was  a  son  of  God  and  a  friend  of  men.  Mrs. 
Sarah  Flower  Adams,  author  of  the  hymn,  ''Nearer,  My 
God,  to  Thee,"  was  his  cousin. 

Dr.  Robert  Foster. 

Tennessee,  1814.  ^  1875,  Palrnyra,  111. 

Mr.  Foster  was  a  unique  character.  Small  in  body,  he 
was  in  mind  alert  and  quick  to  learn  and  understand.  At 
the  age  of  fifteen  he  was  baptized  by  Philip  Mulkey  in  Ten- 

17 


514         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

nessee.  His  father  was  a  high  and  stern  Calvinist  and  drove 
Robert  from  home  when  he  became  a  Christian.  So  he  came 
to  lUinois  with  Tandy  Trice,  a  pioneer  preacher.  The  period 
of  his  youth  must  have  been  dihgently  improved,  for  he 
became  a  successful  physician  and  remarkable  preacher.  The 
Christian  ministry  was  the  absorbing  and  consuming  work  of 
his  life.  His  labors  were  chiefly  in  central  Illinois,  where 
he  was  associated  with  D.  P.  Henderson,  W.  P.  Bowles,  B. 
W.  Henry,  A.  J.  Kane  and  other  mighty  men  of  that  time. 
How  much  this  part  of  the  State  is  indebted  to  his  zeal,  toils 
and  sacrifices,  only  a  few  know.  After  he  was  well  started 
in  the  ministry,  he  made  a  visit  to  his  childhood's  home  in 
Tennessee.  While  there,  he  conducted  a  meeting  of  days, 
and  baptized  his  mother,  two  brothers  and  a  sister.  His 
proud  father  gave  him  no  countenance,  and  he  came  away 
without  even  seeing  him.  In  April,  1836,  he  started  horse- 
back on  an  evangelizing  tour,  and  the  next  November 
reported  150  baptisms.  In  1837  he  was  associated  with  B. 
W.  Stone  in  a  meeting  in  Lynnville. 

In  December,  1838,  he  was  married  to  ]\Iiss  Mary  A. 
Burnett,  near  Palmyra.  They  began  housekeeping  in  a  log 
cabin  on  Wolf  Creek,  north  of  the  site  of  Riverton.  One  of 
their  sons,  W  B.  Foster,  became  a  brilliant  and  successful 
preacher,  but  died  in  his  young  prime.  Several  other  chil- 
dren  survive. 

At  one  time,  Dr.  Foster  had  a  lucrative  medical  practice 
in  Carlinville,  but  this  could  not  tie  him  to  that  profession. 
His  desire  to  preach  pushed  all  else  aside.  His  generosity 
knew  no  limit.  It  was  that  trait  in  him  that  led  Dr.  Bostick, 
of  Scottsville,  to  say:  ''Robert  Foster  is  the  smartest  man  I 
ever  knew,  but  has  the  least  common  sense  of  any  man  I  ever 
saw."  John  M.  Palmer  said  that  Robert  Foster  would  give 
away  the  last  dollar  he  had,  then  borrow  another  dollar  and 
give  that  away. 

He  is  said  to  have  been  the  ablest  and  most  convincing 
preacher  in  the  State  on  the  Bible  way  to  become  a  Chris- 
tian.    Claiborn  Hall,  long  a  great  man  of  God  at  Athens; 


BIOGRAPHIES  SIS 

Thos.  E.  Bondurant,  first  at  Mechanicsburg,  and  M.  M.  and 
G.  M.  Goode,  first  at  Chapman's  Point,  were  turned  to  the 
Lord  by  Mr.  Foster.  He  called  the  younger  Mr.  Goode  his 
''son  Timothy."  Preaching  on  the  conversion  of  the  jailer, 
and  replying  to  the  contention  that  there  were  infants  in  this 
family,  Mr.  Foster  said:  "This  jailer  had  one  daughter.  She 
married  a  shoemaker  who  was  lame  in  one  leg  and  blind  in 
one  eye.  How  did  I  learn  this?  Why,  just  like  the  preach- 
ers who  say  there  were  babies  in  this  family  who  were 
baptized.  /  inferred  it."  His  sermon  on  Philip  and  the 
eunuch  was  made  very  striking  by  modernizing  the  Scripture 
to  suit  the  then  prevalent  conception  for  conversion. 

Some  amusing  incidents  are  told  of  him.  In  those  days 
it  was  the  custom  to  have  high,  boxed-up  pulpits.  Mr.  Fos- 
ter was  too  short  to  see  over  the  big  Bible ;  so  he  was  pro- 
vided with  a  box  on  which  to  stand.  When  he  began  to 
exhort,  he  could  not  stay  on  the  box,  so  his  head  would 
appear  and  disappear  behind  the  high  enclosure.  A  little 
girl  in  the  audience  witnessed  his  movements  and  was  much 
troubled  thereby;  so  she  began  to  cry,  saying:  ''Mother,  why 
don't  they  let  him  o-u-t?" 

Some  of  the  good  sisters  somewhere  had  given  him  a 
stiff-bosomed  shirt.  They  were  shocked  to  notice  at  an  out- 
of-doors  baptismal  occasion,  when  Mr.  Foster  removed  his 
coat,  that  he  had  his  shirt  on  front  part  behind,  so  occupied 
was  he  with  his  work.  He  was  always  himself.  He  did  not 
"put  on"  or  play  a  part.  His  eccentricities  were  as  natural 
as  the  color  of  his  eyes  or  the  shape  of  his  face. 

At  the  close  of  his  life,  he  said  to  George  Sims,  an  aged 
comrade  in  the  gospel:  "Brother  Sims,  what  a  blessed  thing 
it  is  that  a  Christian  can  die  and  exchange  his  old,  wornout 
body  for  a  spiritual  one  with  Christ." 

Chas.  W.  Freeman. 

Greenup,  111.,  1859. 

Grew  up  on  the  farm.  Attended  country  school,  County 
Normal  and  State  School  at  Normal,  111.     He  was  a  teacher 


516  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

for  eleven  years  in  the  country  and  town  schools.  When 
twelve  years  of  age  he  made  a  violin  of  a  cigar-box  and 
learned  to  play  about  eighty  pieces  by  ear.  Later  he  studied 
music.  Before  his  conversion,  he  made  music  for  dances ; 
since  then  he  has  made  music  more  earnestly  for  the  Lord. 
The  first  three  years  of  his  preaching  were  connected  with 
his  work  as  a  schoolmaster.  During  that  period  he  received 
less  than  three  dollars  for  his  ministerial  service.  His  work 
in  Illinois  was  mostly  in  southeastern  counties.  Mr.  Free- 
man has  been  an  earnest  and  efficient  evangelist,  having  led 
in  eighty  revivals.  He  baptized  his  own  mother  on  the 
seventieth  anniversary  of  her  birth.  His  preaching  always 
rings  true  to  the  word  of  God,  of  course. 

Seth  Card. 

Came  from  an  Eastern  State  to  Barney's  Prairie  settle- 
ment, in  what  is  now  Wabash  County,  in  1813.  He  was  a 
man  of  ability,  initiative  and  perspective,  and  was  probably 
the  leading  man  in  that  section.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
third  Territorial  Legislature,  and  was  also  a  member  of  the 
convention  that  framed  the  State  Constitution  in  1818.  He 
was  the  first  elder  of  the  Barney's  Prairie  Church.  To  him, 
with  Min.  James  Pool,  Joseph  Wood  and  others,  is  due  the 
honor  of  starting  that  church  on  the  apostolic  basis.  Mr. 
Card  died  in  1845. 

James  S.  Gash. 

Kentucky,  1833.  1909,  Hlinois. 

Mr.  Gash  turned  to  the  Lord  at  the  age  of  thirty.  He 
began  preaching  at  once.  His  ministry  was  confined  to  the 
Military  Tract.  For  many  years  he  led  the  singing  in  his 
home  church  at  Macomb.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  had 
united  more  people  in  wedlock  than  any  minister  in  McDon- 
ough  County.  He  was  a  brotherly  man  of  sweet  spirit  and 
a  consecrated  and  helpful  Christian.  His  end  came  by 
apolexy.  The  democracy  of  the  gospel  was  well  illustrated 
in  his  spirit  and  life. 


J.  H.  GILLILAND. 


COL.  E.  D.  BAKER. 


m 


JOHN   J.    COSAT. 


J.  G.  CAMPBELL. 


BIOGRAPHIES  517 

Clay  F.  Cannier. 

Knox  County,  O.,  1870. 

Grew  up  on  the  farm.  Taught  school  and  attended 
school,  graduating  with  honor  from  the  Ohio  Northwestern 
University  in  1893.  Was  principal  of  the  public  schools  at 
Sidell,  III,  for  nine  years,  when  he  resigned  to  enter  the 
ministry  in  1903.  Mr.  Gaumer  has  given  the  churches  of 
that  part  of  Vermilion  County  helpful  service.  He  was 
elected  to  the  forty-fourth  General  Assembly  of  Illinois  on 
the  Prohibition  ticket ;  and  again  in  1906  by  a  large  majority. 

James  H.  Cilliland. 

Illinois,  1855.  1912,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Gilliland  was  born  on  his  father's  farm  near  Ver- 
mont. While  a  boy  he  lived  and  worked  there.  He  grad- 
uated from  Abingdon  College  in  1875,  and  from  Eureka  in 
the  class  of  1880.  The  following  year  he  received  from  the 
latter  institution  his  master's  degree. 

He  served  the  church  at  Mechanicsburg  four  years  and 
at  Harristown  until  he  was  called  to  Bloomington  in  Febru- 
ary, 1888.  His  service  in  that  city  has  been  well  called  "a 
monumental  ministry."  Under  his  wise  leadership  and  force- 
ful. Scriptural  preaching  the  congregations  there  grew  from 
one  to  three,  with  large,  modern,  well-equipped  buildings 
paid  for,  and  the  number  of  Disciples  increased  from  four 
hundred  to  about  twenty-five  hundred.  The  ministry  of  very 
few  men  is  crowned  with  such  substantial  and  abiding  results. 

As  a  man  and  a  minister,  Mr.  Gilliland  was  unassuming 
and  wholly  without  ostentation.  His  master  ambition  was 
to  be  a  capable  and  faithful  preacher  of  the  Word.  He  read 
widely  and  wisely,  and  thought  profoundly  and  clearly  upon 
all  the  great  religious  problems  of  our  time.  His  last  work 
was  the  preparation  of  an  address  on  "Twenty-five  Years  of 
Christian  Work  in  Bloomington,"  read  by  another  at  the 
seventy-fifth  anniversary  of  the  formation  of  the  Christian 
Church  in  that  city.  In  its  closing  he  said:  "The  ministry  of 
the  Word  is  the  transcendent  calling.    It  is  a  God-revealing, 


518  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

Christ-uplifting  and  Bible-interpreting  calling.  The  preacher 
may  well  visit  the  critic's  school,  but  his  residence  is  at  the 
mterpreter's  house.  The  ministry  is  a  man-saving,  a  truth- 
seeking,  a  world-redeeming  calling.  The  minister  is  the 
champion  of  the  needy,  the  advocate  of  the  poor,  the  pro- 
tector of  the  helpless,  the  apostle  of  every  good  cause.  Ilon- 
ored  with  the  presence  of  God  and  his  power,  clothed  with 
the  authority  of  Jesus  and  the  truth,  directed  by  the  prin- 
ciples of  faith,  love  and  sacrifice,  the  ministry  is  the  supreme 
calHng  among  men." 

In  his  passing,  the  cause  of  truth  and  righteousness  sus- 
tained a  distinct  loss.  The  hearts  of  thousands  were  touched 
with  sincere  regret  and  sorrow.  "He  sets  as  sets  the  morn- 
ing star  that  goes  not  down,  but  melts  away  into  the  light 
of  heaven." 

Archibald  A.  Glenn. 

Nicholas  County,  Ky.,  1819.  1901,  Wichita,  Kan. 

Mr.  Glenn  was  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage.  His  paternal 
grandfather  came  from  Ireland  to  America  just  before  the 
Revolution.  His  mother  was  a  Kentuckian — a  woman  of 
refinement  and  great  strength  of  character. 

His  father's  family  moved  to  Indiana  in  1820,  from  there 
to  Vermilion  County,  111.,  in  1823,  and  afterward  to  Schuyler 
County.  The  father  died  in  1832,  leaving  his  family  but 
little  property.  Archibald,  then  a  lad  of  fourteen,  with  his 
mother,  kept  the  family  of  six  younger  children  together  and 
managed  the  farm.  When  his  brothers  were  older  and  able 
to  work,  Archibald  went  to  Rushville,  learned  the  printing 
business  and  published  a  paDer  in  the  interests  of  the  Whig 
party.  Next,  he  went  to  ]\It.  Sterling  and  became  a  book- 
keeper in  a  store.  In  1853  he  was  elected  county  clerk. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  his  political  career.  He  served 
as  superintendent  of  schools  in  Brown  County  one  term.  He 
was  a  deles^ate  to  the  convention  that  amended  the  State's 
Constitution  in  1862.  General  Lippencott,  State  Auditor  in 
1868,  regarded  Mr.  Glenn  as  one  of  the  most  capable  mem- 


BIOGRAPHIES  519 

bers  of  the  St2te  Board  of  Equalization.  He  was  elected  to 
the  State  Senate  in  1872,  and  became  president  of  that  body 
and  ex-officio  Lieutenant  Governor  in  1874.  The  little  school 
training  that  Mr.  Glenn  received  v^as  in  the  country  schools. 
Technically,  he  w^as  not  an  educated  man,  but  he  came,  by 
reading  and  absorbing  the  contents  of  many  good  books,  into 
the  possession  of  a  prodigious  fund  of  information  that  he 
used  with  commanding  ability. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  church  of  Christ  at  Mt.  Ster- 
ling and  was  a  staunch  and  true  Disciple.  Always  and 
everywhere  and  in  all  things  he  stood  four-square  for  the 
best  things  of  Ufe. 

Galen  M.  Goode. 

Macoupin  County,  111.,  1842. 

Grew  up  on  farm.  Attended  public  schools.  Began 
preaching  about  1863.  He  has  served  the  churches  at 
Illiopolis,  Harristown,  Normal,  Buffalo,  Hartsburg  and  Lex- 
ington, Mo.  Besides,  much  miscellaneous  Christian  work. 
He  has  been  a  genial  man  of  fine  humor  and  wit  and  always 
devoted  to  the  truth.  He  is  the  father  of  Min.  W.  S.  Goode, 
of  Ohio. 

M.  M.  Goode, 

Illinois,  1835. 

A  brother  of  G.  M.  Goode.  Was  a  very  active  and  useful 
preacher  in  Illinois  in  the  earlier  years.  Entered  the  min- 
istry in  1862.  Served  at  Antioch,  Berea  and  Literberry,  in 
Morgan  County,  and  Petersburg.  These  two  brothers  had 
quick  wit  and  fine  humor  and  were  most  enjoyable  com- 
panions.    But  he  went  to  Missouri  more  than  thirty  years  ago. 

In  August,  1867,  he  conducted  a  public  discussion  at 
Palmyra,  ill.,  with  Min.  Richard  McVey,  of  the  M.  E. 
Church.  One  of  the  speeches  of  Mr.  Goode  was  full  of 
unction,  and  as  he  SDoke  a  Mr.  Vancamp  pressed  his  way  to 
the  front  to  make  the  srood  confession :  he  was  at  once  fol- 
lowed by  two  sisters,  Misses  Lucy  and  Leona  Gardner,  Rich- 
ard Allyn  and  Taylor  McPherson.     Then   Mr.   Short,  who 


520  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

was  Mr.  McVey's  moderator  and  a  teacher  in  the  female 
college  at  Jacksonville,  stepped  to  the  front  and  exhorted  the 
people  to  come  forward  and  confess  the  Saviour.  It  was  a 
moment  of  profound  spiritual  pathos.  At  the  meeting  for 
immersion  the  following  day  a  number  of  others  turned  to 
the  Lord. 

Thomas  Goodman. 

Virginia,  1808.  1888,  Charleston,  111. 

In  early  manhood  he  was  a  schoolmaster  and  a  merchant, 
and  accumulated  some  property.  Meanwhile,  he  was  preach- 
ing some,  and  the  conviction  grew  in  him  that  he  ought  to 
be  wholly  consecrated  to  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry; 
hence,  to  this  work  he  gave  his  life  and  in  it  spent  most  of 
the  means  he  had  acquired. 

He  came  to  Illinois  in  the  pioneer  days.  While  yet  a 
schoolteacher  he  would  often  ride  horseback  to  his  appoint- 
ments, preach  Saturday  evening  and  twice  on  the  Lord's  Day, 
then  ride  most  of  the  night  to  begin  his  school  work  Monday 
morning.  Later  his  preaching-tours  were  so  extended  that 
two  or  three  days'  riding  was  required,  and  on  these  trips 
as  often  as  necessary  he  swam  his  horse  through  swollen 
streams. 

''Uncle  Tom"  Goodman  was  one  of  the  most  intense  men. 
His  was  the  material  of  which  heroes  and  martyrs  are  made. 
He  was  never  kept  in  his  bed  by  sickness  a  whole  day  in  his 
life  until  his  last  illness,  that  lasted  only  three  days.  He 
never  voted,  but  when  Mr.  Lincoln  was  a  candidate  for  the 
Presidency  in  1860  the  conscience  of  the  preacher  was  sorely 
tried,  such  was  his  admiration  for  the  great  man.  To  have 
stipulated  a  term  of  ministerial  service  for  a  named  amount 
of  money  would  have  been  to  Mr.  Goodman  well-nigh  an  act 
of  sacrilege.  It  was  said  of  him  that  if  one  would  quote 
from  memory  or  read  a  passage  in  the  New  Testament,  he 
could  at  once  name  the  chapter  and  verse.  In  his  preaching 
he  often  became  so  impassioned  with  the  love  of  the  truth  and 
his  desire  for  the  salvation  of  people  that  he  dashed  little 


BIOGRAPHIES  521 

flecks  of  foam  from  his  mouth  like  a  mighty  warhorse  in 
battle. 

He  conducted  the  funeral  of  Thomas  Lincoln,  the  father 
of  Abraham  Lincoln,  a  few  miles  southeast  of  Mattoon, 
where  the  sacred  dust  of  the  paternal  progenitor  of  the 
great  Emancipator  lies  entombed.  Thomas  and  Nancy  Lin- 
coln were  members  of  the  Christian  Church. 

Mr.  Goodman,  with  patient  and  well-directed  aim,  hum- 
bled himself  through  his  life ;  so  God  has  highly  exalted  him* 

John  R.  Golden. 

McLean  County,  III,  1876. 

Grew  up  on  farm.  Learned  carpenter's  trade.  Educated 
at  Eureka  College.  Was  pastor  at  Moweaqua,  Walnut,  Gib- 
son and  Westside  Church  in  Springfield.  Was  elected  to  the 
House  of  the  Legislature  on  the  Prohibition  ticket  in  1906. 

Elijah  Goodwin. 

Ohio,  1807.     ^  ^  1889,  Ohio. 

Elijah  Goodwin  belonged  to  Indiana,  as  that  was  his 
home  most  of  his  life.  But  since  no  man  did  more  to  plant 
the  Restoration  movement  in  Edwards,  Wabash  and  White 
Counties  than  he,  these  lines  are  due  here.  At  the  age  of 
fourteen  he  became  a  member  of  the  Christian  Denomina- 
tion. Four  years  later  he  was  licensed  by  their  conference 
to  preach.  In  a  few  years  his  preaching  began  to  distress 
their  older  ministers.  He  soon  identified  himself  with  the 
Disciples.  His  ministerial  labors  in  the  counties  above 
named,  as  well  as  southern  Indiana  and  northern  Kentucky, 
were  incessant.  Besides,  he  did  considerable  editorial  work. 
His  book  of  sermons  entitled  *'The  Family  Companion"  was 
published  in  1873.  If  any  one  thinks  he  was  only  a  common 
backwoods  preacher,  let  him  learn  his  mistake  by  reading  it. 
At  the  time  of  his  decease  his  talented  and  accomplished 
wife  was  the  editor  of  the  Christian  Monitor.  The  closing 
words  of  the  last  oi  three  poems  she  wrote  on  the  death  of 
her  husband  follow: 


522  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

"His  glorious  crown  of  silver  hair! 
His  face  like  marble,  pure  and  fair; 
His  folded  hands,  in  holy  calm, 
Worthy  to  bear  the  martyr's  palm. 
I'll  lay  white  flowers  upon  his  breast, 
Emblem  of  his  peaceful  rest; 
Never  more  for  him  shall  be 
The  pain  of  death's  Gethsemane." 

Moses  Goodwin 

Was  a  younger  brother  of  Elijah  Goodwin.  He  had  little 
of  school  training,  but  knew  the  Bible  from  end  to  end.  He 
was  strong  both  physically  and  mentally,  and  was  a  born 
orator.  No  one  ever  went  to  sleep  or  became  indifferent 
when  he  was  preaching.  Through  the  teaching  and  preach- 
ing of  Maurice  R.  Trimble,  of  Knox  County,  Ind.,  Moses 
came  fully  into  the  Restoration  movement  a  little  before  his 
brother  Elijah.  While  Moses  Goodwin  was  preaching  for 
Union  Church  in  Gibson  County,  Ind.,  that  congregation 
came  over  bodily  into  "gospel  order,"  as  they  called  it,  with- 
out change  of  name,  officers  or  records.  The  only  change 
apparent  afterward  was  that  the  mourners'  bench  was  used 
no  more  and  penitent  believers  publicly  confessed  their  faith 
in  the  Christ  and  were  baptized  for  the  remission  of  sins. 

Moses  Goodwin  settled  in  White  County,  111.,  some  time 
before  1840.  Feb.  24,  1839,  he  organized  the  Christian 
Church  at  Seven-mile  Prairie,  which  became  the  mother  of 
all  the  churches  of  Christ  in  White  County.  His  labors 
were  constant  and  successful,  but  they  undermined  his  health. 
He  died  at  Grayville  about  the  time  he  reached  his  prime. 

Harmon  Gregg. 

Illinois,  1830. 

Mr.  Gregg  was  born  in  a  log  cabin  a  short  distance  west 
of  the  site  of  the  city  of  Charleston.  Indians  were  still  liv- 
ing thereabout.  In  the  winter-time  he  attended  school  in  a 
log  house  when  the  days  were  not  fit  to  break  and  scutch 
flax.     In  1849  the  California  gold  fever  attacked  him.     He 


BIOGRAPHIES  523 

crossed  the  plains  with  the  view  of  gathering  gold  by  the 
basketful.  Like  many  others,  in  this  he  was  disappointed, 
and  after  two  years  returned  to  Illinois.  The  trip  had  cost 
him  two  years  of  schooling. 

In  the  southeast  part  of  Douglas  County  there  was  a 
community  of  intelligent  settlers.  It  came  to  be  known  as 
Rural  Retreat  and  is  yet  so  called.  A  debating  society  was 
formed  and  its  weekly  meetings  were  held  in  the  schoolhouse. 
In  these  meetings  Mr.  Gregg  soon  became  an  active  par- 
ticipant. 

It  was  not  long  until  the  Disciples  in  the  community 
encouraged  him  to  preach.  He  was  modest  and  timid,  but 
they  insisted.  Thus  it  was  that  he  was  led  into  the  ministry. 
His  work  was  done  mainly  in  Douglas,  Coles  and  Edgar 
Counties.  Associated  v/ith  him  were  A.  D.  Fillmore,  Thomas 
Goodman,  Gershom  Rude,  Joseph  Hostetler  and  W.  F.  Black. 

One  day  Mr.  Gregg  was  plowing  in  his  field.  A  neighbor 
residing  five  miles  away  called  on  business.  In  the  course 
of  the  conversation  the  caller  misquoted  a  passage  of  Scrip- 
ture, which  Mr.  Gregg  corrected.  Then  the  neighbor  so 
persistently  besought  him  to  come  over  and  preach  in  their 
schoolhouse  that  a  promise  was  given.  The  results  were 
conversions  among  the  people,  the  organization  of  a  church 
of  Christ  and  the  building  of  a  substantial  church.  His 
ministry  was  continued  there  four  or  five  years.  A  good 
sister  remarked  to  the  preacher  one  day  that  honey-bees 
always  did  well  for  a  man  who  lived  amicably  with  his  wife ; 
whereupon,  she  gave  him  a  colony.  This  was  the  sole  mate- 
rial compensation  received  from  that  congregation  for  those 
years  of  service.  Frequently  Mr.  Gregg's  preaching  was  of 
the  militant  type.  It  could  hardly  have  been  different.  In 
those  years  he  and  his  brethren,  pleading  for  the  authority 
of  Jesus  Christ  and  the  word  of  God,  were  often  called 
"water-dogs"  by  pious  denominationalists.  Sometimes  even 
women  would  shake  their  fists  in  his  face  and  mutter  their 
dissent.  But  this  preacher  was  always  true  to  the  word  of 
God. 


524  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Tobias   G rider. 

Monroe  County,  Ky.,  1800.  1880,  Shelby  County,  III 
At  the  age  of  twenty  he  married  and  moved  to  Indiana, 
where  he  soon  became  a  Christian  and  began  to  preach.  He 
came  to  IlHnois  in  1836,  and  settled  on  Sand  Creek  in  Shelby 
County,  where  he  died.  As  a  proclaimer  of  the  gospel,  he 
labored  under  many  disadvantages,  but  by  persevering  indus- 
try he  supported  his  family  from  his  farm  and  gained  a  good 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures.  His  Hfe  was  filled  with  self- 
sacrifices  for  others'  good.  He  was  never  called  an  eloquent 
preacher,  but  his  sermons  were  full  of  Bible  truth,  logically 
stated,  and  he  was  a  powerful  exhorter.  Many  hundreds 
were  won  to  Christ  by  his  ministry,  in  which  he  continued 
faithful  unto  death. 

W.  M.  Groves. 

Hancock  County,  111.,  1865. 

Educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  county  and 
Abingdon  College.  As  pastor,  he  served  the  churches  at 
Stillwell,  Columbus,  Rushville,  Carrollton,  Girard,  Shelby- 
ville  and  Petersburg.  He  is  a  leader  among  the  Odd  Fellows 
of  Illinois.  He  was  first  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  in 
1909,  and  is  now  (1913)  serving  his  third  term. 

John  I.  Gunn. 

Scotland,  1866. 

Educated  at  Evanston,  111.  Served  several  years  as  a 
minister  in  the  M.  E.  Church.  Mr.  Gunn  combines  the 
literary  and  spiritual  in  fine  proportions,  and  his  ministry  is 
pleasing  and  profitable. 

George  F.  Hall. 

Near  Clarksville,  la.,  1864. 

Mr.  Hall  began  his  mundane  career  in  a  log  cabin  and 
grew  up  on  the  farm.  He  attended  the  district  school  and 
four  and  a  half  years  in  Drake  University.  He  has  read 
widely  and  written  much.     In   1904  he   received  the   Ph.D. 


BIOGRAPHIES  525 

degree  from  what  was  then  known  as  Rnskin  University. 
The  aggregate  sale  of  his  books  has  been  about  one  hundred 
thousand  volumes.  He  paid  his  way  in  school  by  his  own 
labors.  Thereafter  he  served  as  pastor  five  years  in  Kansas 
and  seven  in  Illinois.  Meanwhile,  he  was  afield  as  a  very 
forceful  and  successful  evangelist.  And  he  gave  not  a  few 
lectures  on  a  variety  of  subjects.  For  nearly  seven  years  he 
preached  Sunday  mornings  at  Bush  Temple  of  Music, 
Chicago,  to  multitudes  of  people.  In  this  work  he  was 
unassisted  save  by  the  volunteer  ofTering  of  the  people  who 
attended  there.  Mr.  Hall  is  vigorous  in  body  and  brain. 
He  is  not  easily  abashed  or  discouraged.  His  sermons  have 
always  rung  true  to  the  word  of  God. 

/.  C.  T.  Hall. 

Ewel,  England,  1818.  ^  1901,  Albion,  111. 

Was  brought  by  his  parents  to  America  in  1821,  and  later 
into  Edwards  County.  At  the  Little  Prairie  Church  there  he 
became  a  Christian  and  a  minister.  He  worked  with  his 
hands  to  support  himself  and  family  while  he  preached,  and 
was  successful  both  in  his  secular  business  and  his  public 
ministry.  He  was  a  lover  of  good  books  and  had  a  large 
library.  He  was  firm  in  his  faith,  a  man  of  sweet  and 
gracious  spirit,  and,  with  his  increasing  means,  liberal  to  a 
fault.  For  about  sixty-one  years  he  continued  his  public 
service  in  southern  Illinois,  but  particularly  in  Edwards 
County.  A  short  time  before  his  death  he  said:  "It  is  the 
last  step  that  a  man  makes  that  takes  him  into  heaven." 

Jonathan  Hall 

Was  for  many  years  an  efficient  elder  of  the  Old  Union 
Church.  Beginning  in  1873,  he  served  as  judge  of  DeWitt 
County  for  four  years. 

Caleb  Hainline 

Was  baptized  by  Abner  Peeler  in  August,  1836.  He  began 
as  a  local  teacher  in  the  Hittle's  Grove  Church  in  1840,  con- 


526  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

tinuing  until  his  death  in  1901 — over  sixty-one  years.  In 
1871  he  preached  fifty-nine  sermons,  married  three  couples, 
and  received  a  total  compensation  of  $2.10. 

/.  £.  Harris. 

Fulton  County,  III,   1854. 

Educated  at  Abingdon  College.  Is  a  farmer  and  grain- 
dealer.  Served  three  terms  as  mayor  of  Bushville,  and  was 
elected  to  the  House  of  the  Legislature  in  1904-06. 

/.  /.  Harris. 

Summit  County,  O.,  1853. 

Grew  up  on  the  farm  and  with  decidedly  infidel  notions. 
Fortunately,  marrying  a  Christian  of  intelligent  convictions, 
she  led  him  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  Then  he  attended 
Bethany  College  a  year.  He  served  as  pastor  in  Ohio  and 
Michigan,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1887.  His  eight  years^ 
pastorate  at  Duquoin  was  a  great  blessing  to  the  church  in 
every  way.  Since  then  he  has  resided  in  Marion  and  has 
evangelized  and  served  congregations.  He  was  the  evan- 
gelist of  the  Eighth  District  three  years,  and  has  been  a 
public  advocate  of  prohibition.  Mr.  Harris  is  one  of  the 
common  people,  a  man  of  fine  common  sense  and  a  true 
preacher.  His  ministry  in  southern  Illinois  has  been  dis- 
tinctly constructive. 

W.  W.  Happy. 

Kentucky,  1806.  1875,  Illinois. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen,  Mr.  Happy  united  with  the  Bap- 
tist Church.  He  came  to  Jacksonville  in  1830,  and  soon 
thereafter  became  a  member  of  the  church  of  Christ  there. 
In  the  thirties  he  was  twice  elected  to  the  lower  House  of 
the  Illinois  Legislature  from  the  Jacksonville  district  as  a 
Whig.     He  served  his  constituents  with  fidelity  and  eflficiency. 

When  about  thirty  years  of  age,  he  was  urged  by  his 
brethren  to  give  his  life  to  the  Christian  ministry,  and  shortly 
thereafter  entered  upon  this  work.     He  traveled  through  the 


BIOGRAPHIES  527 

State  with  Mr.  Campbell  in  1853  in  the  interest  of  Bethany 
College,  and  frequently  preached  for  the  churches  they 
visited.  Later,  the  great  reformer  said  of  Mr.  Happy  that 
in  intellectual  endowments  he  was  the  equal  of  any  man  in 
the  West,  and  that  his  grasp  of  the  scheme  of  redemption 
was  quite  superior.  He  was  a  great  thinker  and  had  the 
courage  of  his  convictions.  His  affiliation  with  the  Russell 
defection  grew  out  of  his  deep  spiritual  desires  and  his  long- 
ing to  be  right  with  God.  His  return  to  the  church  in  later 
years  was  evidence  of  his  Christlike  humility.  He  was  a 
Christian  pioneer  of  noble  character,  who  gave  his  Ufe  in 
unselfish  devotion  to  the  gospel's  advocacy.  He  died  in 
humble  circumstances. 

7.  M,  Haughey. 

Jamestown,  O.,  1833.  1912,  Mason  City,  111. 

Became  a  Christian  in  1859  at  Rothchild's  Schoolhouse, 
west  of  Lincoln,  111.,  under  the  preaching  of  Minister  Good- 
sell,  of  the  Baptists.  In  June,  1861,  he  took  charge  of  the 
Baptist  Church  in  Mason  City,  and  the  following  winter 
transferred  his  membership  to  the  church  of  Christ  in  that 
place.  Thereafter,  his  ministry  was  continuous  till  failing 
health  compelled  his  retirement.  He  never  sought  to  serve 
a  church  because  of  the  salary,  but  supported  his  family  by 
the  newspaper  business.  In  his  ministry  he  walked  through- 
out Mason  County  and  added  multitudes  to  the  Lord. 

On  one  occasion  he  was  preaching,  in  a  schoolhouse  packed 
full  of  people,  on  "The  Four  Baptisms."  Just  in  front  of  him 
sat  an  old  gentleman  with  steady  eyes  on  the  preacher.  He 
spoke  first  of  the  baptism  of  suffering;  second,  of  water,  and, 
third,  of  fire.  ''Now  I  come  to  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,"  said  the  preacher.  Just  then  the  old  gentleman 
extended  his  arm  full  length,  and,  pointing  his  index  finger 
almost  into  the  speaker's  face,  said,  loud  enough  for  all  to 
hear,  "Yes,  sir,  and  it's  the  only  baptism  I'd  give  a  snap 
for,  by  ginsrer."  He  had  formed  the  habit  of  saying  "by 
ginger"  in  his  youth,  and  it  stuck. 


528  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Robert  Moffett  Allison  Hawk. 

Indiana,  1839.  1882,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Brought  with  his  father's  family  to  Carroll  County,  111., 
in  1846.  Educated  in  common  schools  and  at  Eureka  Col- 
lege. First  lieutenant  of  Company  C,  Ninety-second  Regi- 
ment Illinois  Volunteers,  in  1862.  Promoted  to  captaincy 
early  in  1863.  Lost  his  right  leg  in  the  battle  of  Raleigh, 
N.  C.,  the  day  of  Lee's  surrender.  Breveted  major  by  Presi- 
dent Johnson  for  meritorious  service.  Was  county  clerk  of 
Carroll  County  from  1865  to  1878.  Was  elected  to  forty- 
sixth  and  forty-seventh  Congresses  from  the  Fifth  District. 
On  the  night  before  the  assembling  of  the  convention  of  his 
district  to  nominate  him  for  the  third  time,  Major  Hawk 
was  stricken  by  apoplexy  and  died  within  a  few  hours  at 
his  rooms  in  Washington,  D.  C,  at  11  p.  m.,  June  29,  1882. 
General  and  Mrs.  John  A.  Logan  were  with  him  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  Major  Hawk  was  a  large  man  in  every  way — 
physically,  mentally  and  morally.  He  was  a  commanding 
personality,  and  commanded  the  confidence  and  respect  of  all 
who  knew  him.     He  was  a  faithful  Christian  man. 

Morgan  P.  Hayden, 

Deerfield,  O.,  1845. 

Graduated  at  Hiram  College.  He  served  two  periods  in 
Illinois  covering  twelve  years — at  Ludlow,  Blandinsville, 
Augusta,  Watseka,  Rockford,  Washington  and  elsewhere. 
Mr.  Hayden  has  a  fine  knowledge  of  the  Bible,  out  of  which 
he  has  enriched  his  generation. 

Lysias  Heape, 

York  County,  Pa.,  1813.  1889,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Heape's  family  moved  to  Ohio  in  1816.  He  was 
baptized  there  in  1832  by  Wm.  Dowling.  He  came  to  Perry 
County,  111.,  about  1835.  Soon  he  was  chosen  as  an  elder 
of  a  congregation  near  Duquoin.  In  the  discharge  of  his 
Scriptural  duties  he  was  soon  led  into  the  work  of  the  min- 


BIOGRAPHIES  529 

istry.  In  his  experience  he  had  the  privations  and  the  joys 
of  a  pioneer  preacher.  From  1847  to  1855  he  was  employed 
by  a  Co-operation  of  Christian  Churches  in  southern  IlUnois. 

D.  P.  Henderson. 

It  is  humiliating  to  the  writer  that  such  a  fine  character 
and  useful  life  fails  of  a  befitting  mention  from  a  lack  of 
the  facts.  Mr.  Henderson  was,  at  different  times,  actively 
associated  with  the  churches  of  Christ  in  Illinois  for  fifty 
years.  He  was  a  successful  pastor  and  evangelist  and  a 
resourceful  leader  in  co-operative  missionary  work  and  Chris- 
tian education.  He  was  a  writer  and  editor  as  well.  He 
worked  in  the  thirties  in  Morgan  County  and  one  of  his 
pastorates  was  in  Chicago.  T.  T.  Holton  says  of  him:  "He 
was  a  model  of  grace  for  an  old  man  and  very  winning  and 
persuasive  in  his  address.  I  think  in  his  youth  he  could  have 
courted  a  princess.  He  was  a  man  of  wonderful  energy, 
though  slight  of  build."  When  clerk  of  the  court  in  Jack- 
sonville, he  preached  in  villages  and  country  churches  on  the 
Lord's  Days.  His  great  meeting  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  in 
which  five  hundred  additions  were  received,  called  special 
attention  to  him.  During  his  pastorate  there,  the  great 
pillared  Temple  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Walnut  Streets 
was  erected.  In  its  basement  the  Foreign  Christian  Mis- 
sionary Society  was  organized.  Li  the  same  place  a  daily 
morning  prayer-meeting  during  the  Civil  War  was  held,  and 
the  unity  of  the  congregation  was  thus  conserved.  He  was 
an  earnest  Union  man,  and  there  were  influential  numbers 
there  who  differed  with  him.  Mr.  Henderson  was  thoroughly 
democratic.  He  knew  nothing  of  snobbery  save  as  he  saw  it 
in  others.  While  a  forceful  leader,  he  was  admirably  con- 
ciliatory.    He  was  a  fine  example  of  the  siiaviter  in  niodo, 

'  '  Bushrod  W.  Henry. 

Culpeper  County,  Va.,  1805.  1879,  Shelbyviller  111. 

Became  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  and  soon  after  began  to  preach.     Came  from  Ten- 


530  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

nessee  to  Shelby  County,  111.,  in  the  fall  of  1830.  His  min- 
istry among  the  Baptists  there  was  fruitful,  resulting  in  the 
formation  of  several  congregations.  In  1832  he  began  to 
preach  clearly  three  things:  "The  Bible  as  an  infallible  guide, 
baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins,  no  name  but  Scriptural 
names  for  the  followers  of  Christ  to  wear."  In  reaching 
these  conclusions,  his  son,  J.  O.  Henry,  testified  that  his 
father  was  helped  by  no  human  being  except  his  wife.  Sym- 
pathizers with  the  views  of  ]\Ir.  Henry  early  began  to  be 
called  ''The  Henry  Party."  These  questions  were  debated 
until  in  1834,  when  Air.  Henry  and  his  friends  were  sum- 
marily excluded  from  the  Baptist  Church.  This  date  was 
recalled  because  it  was  associated  with  the  ''sickly  season" 
which  occurred  in  that  year. 

Before  this  time  among  the  converts  of  Mr.  Henry  were 
Willis  Whitfield,  Colonel  Vaughn  and  Silas  Rhodes,  who 
never  left  the  fellowship  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

He  was  a  man  of  prodigious  industry.  He  led  the  work 
on  his  six-hundred-acre  farm  and  traveled  and  preached  in 
many  places — a  strong,  valiant  and  intelligent  proclaimer  of 
the  Word.  In  the  earlier  part  of  his  ministry  he  was  county 
evangelist  for  two  years  in  Shelby.  The  first  year  he 
received  as  salary  enough  blue  jeans  for  a  pair  of  trousers, 
one  pair  of  home-made  woolen  socks  and  $1.25  in  money. 
The  next  year  his  salary  was  five  dollars  in  cash.  He  was 
the  first  Disciple  of  Christ  to  take  part  in  Sunday-school 
work  in  that  county,  helped  in  the  organization  of  the  State 
Missionary  Society  at  Shelbyville  in  1850,  and  was  one  of 
the  original  -trustees  of  Eureka  College.  He  was  a  mighty 
spiritual  force  in  his  time,  all  the  while  exemplifying  his 
preaching  by  his  daily  life.  In  1868  a  venerable  and  stately 
man  went  into  the  church  in  Springfield  one  Lord's  Day 
morning  and  sat  down  well  forward.  He  declined  an  invita- 
tion to  preach,  but  presided  at  the  table.  He  said:  "This  is 
an  institution  of  the  Lord's  own  appointment.  The  command 
to  do  this  in  remembrance  of  him  is  so  gentle  that  it  sounds 
like  a  request  of  one  who  loves  us  and  desires  to  be  remem- 


BIOGRAPHIES  531 

bered.  That  member  of  the  church  of  Christ  who  has  no 
providential  hindrance  and  yet  refuses  to  be  present  and  bear 
a  part  in  this  memorial  service,  deliberately  decides,  for  that 
time  at  least,  he  will  not  obey  his  Lord."  That  man  was 
Bushrod  W.  Henry. 

Mrs.  O.  W.  Stewart  and  Mrs.  Errett  Gates  are  two  of 
his  grandchildren. 

James  O.  Henry. 

Culpeper  County,  Va.,  1827.  1914,  Findley,  111. 

Was  the  eldest  son  of  Bushrod  W.  Henry.  He  was  a 
preacher  of  the  gospel  for  sixty-five  years.  Most  of  his 
ministerial  work  was  done  in  Fayette  and  Shelby  Counties. 
He  served  in  Company  E  of  the  Fourth  Regiment  Illinois 
Volunteers  during  the  Mexican  War.  He  and  Richard  J. 
Oglesby  were  in  adjoining  companies,  and  formed  a  friend- 
ship there  that  continued  through  their  lives.  Ever  after- 
ward when  they  met  it  was  "Jim"  and  "Dick"  until  the  latter 
came  to  honors.  When  Mr.  Oglesby  was  the  last  time  Gov- 
ernor, Mr.  Henry  took  luncheon  with  him  at  the  Mansion. 
Then  they  slowly  walked  together  to  the  entrance  of  the 
State  House  grounds.  The  time  of  their  final  separation 
had  come.  "Well,  Jim,"  said  the  Governor,  "we  have  been 
friends  for  a  long  time.  In  life  you  took  one  course  and  I 
another.  If  I  had  my  life  to  live  over  again,  I  would  pursue 
the  course  you  have  followed."  Then  they  shook  hands  for 
the  last  time  on  earth  and  the  eyes  of  both  of  the  old  boys 
were  more  than  moist. 

Rolla  B.  Henry. 

1887,  Clay  County,  111. 

The  earlier  years  of  his  ministry  were  given  to  Ohio.  In 
Illinois  he  preached  for  congregations  in  Clay  County,  where 
he  also  served  as  county  judge  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
never  allowed  his  official  duties  to  interfere  with  his  regular 
ministerial  work.  He  was  a  fine  Christian  gentleman  who 
commanded  high  respect  and  general  esteem. 


532  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

William  C.  Hill. 

Zemuree,  Tenn.,  1828.  1908,  Illinois. 

His  parents  brought  him  to  Illinois  in  1829  on  a  pack- 
horse.  They  went  to  Montgomery  County,  but  afterward 
settled  on  Turkey  Creek,  south  of  Odin,  in  Marion  County. 
He  had  the  education  imparted  in  backwoods  subscription 
schools.  He  became  a  Christian  in  1841  under  the  ministry 
of  Mr.  Schooly,  and  began  to  preach  in  early  life.  His  min- 
istry in  southeastern  Illinois  reached  through  sixty  years, 
during  which  he  immersed  about  five  thousand  people.  His 
work  was  in  the  pioneer  settlements  and  for  many  years  in 
private  houses  and  groves.  He  encountered  intense  bigoted 
sectarianism,  generally  ignorant  and  superstitious.  He  was 
a  valued  counselor  and  rarely  equaled  as  a  controversiaHst  in 
private  personal  encounters.  Many  congregations  grew  from 
his  labors.  His  sincerity  in  all  he  said  and  did,  his  earnest, 
sympathizing  nature  and  his  power  in  exhortation  enabled 
him  to  win  many  souls  for  Christ,  while  his  own  life  strength- 
ened and  confirmed  their  faith.  His  many  and  great  sacri- 
fices have  had  their  reward. 

Judge  Andrew  Hinds. 

Eden,  Vt.,  1822.  1887,  Lena,  111. 

Was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1846,  and  came  to  Stephen- 
son County,  111.,  in  1849.  There  he  taught  school,  farmed, 
served  as  county  treasurer  and  county  judge  and  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  supervisors  for  twenty  years.  While  a 
m.ember  of  the  State  Legislature,  he  introduced  the  Hinds 
prohibitory  liquor  bill.  It  did  not  pass,  but  was  an  important 
step  in  the  right  direction.  He  was  one  of  the  most  trusted 
men  in  his  county,  and  was  an  intelligent  and  faithful 
Christian. 

David  Hobbs. 

Shelby  County,  Ky.,  1807.  1876,  Liberty,  111. 

Mr.  Hobbs  was  trained  up  in  the  Baptist  Church.  His 
education  was  such  as  the  common    schools    at    that    time 


BIOGRAPHIES  533 

afforded.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  September,  1830,  and  set- 
tied  near  the  site  of  Columbus.  There  he  taught  school  as 
he  had  in  his  native  State.  He  also  owned  and  tilled  a  farm. 
He  early  became  an  earnest  and  devout  student  of  the  sacred 
Scriptures.  This  led  him  to  reject  the  custom  of  "relating 
an  experience"  on  becoming  a  Christian,  and  to  the  adoption 
of  the  Scriptural  order.  In  1832  he  preached  in  the  resi- 
dence of  John  Yeargin,  who  had  preceded  him  from 
Kentucky.  This  was  the  first  sermon  in  Gilmer  Township. 
With  ten  others,  he  moved  to  Concord  Township.  It  is 
claimed  that  on  Apr.  24,  1835,  he  organized  the  church,  on 
the  Bible  as  the  all-sufficient  creed,  known  now  as  the  Pleas- 
ant View  congregation.  He  served  this  church  as  elder  and 
its  principal  teacher  till  1850.  While  a  resident  of  Adams 
County,  he  associated  with  John  B.  Curl,  T.  S.  Brockman, 
James  McPherson  and  W^m.  H.  Strong  in  the  pioneer  work 
of  the  gospel.  His  ministry  was  extended  into  the  contigu- 
ous counties  and  beyond.  In  1850  he  sold  his  farm  and  moved 
to  Pike  County,  where  he  gave  himself  more  exclusively  to 
preaching. 

Mr.  Hobbs  would  never  accept  any  civil  or  military  office 
and  held  himself  wholly  aloof  from  politics.  He  was  six  feet 
and  three  inches  tall,  well  proportioned  and  very  strong. 
Having  read  himself  to  the  apostolic  ground,  his  ministry 
was  fruitful  of  great  good. 

Jacob  Hodge n 

Was  born  in  Hodgenville,  Ky.,  in  1793,  and  came  to  Pike 
County,  111.,  in  1832.  Mrs.  Emma  Crow,  of  Pittsfield,  has 
written  of  him  as  follows: 

He  was  in  turn  a  wagon-maker,  farmer  and  merchant.  He  was 
one  of  the  grand  characters  among  the  pioneers  of  the  county  and  the 
church.  Of  the  strictest  integrity,  sturdiest  manhood  and  unwavering 
faith,  he  was  a  man  whose  faith  and  opinions  commanded  the  respect 
of  his  fellow-men.  His  genial  and  whole-souled  nature  made  him  a 
host  of  friends,  and  his  enthiisiasm  in  the  cause  of  Christianity  made 
his  house  the  home  of  the  ministry  so  that  it  was  known  as  "the 
preachers'  hotel."     It  was  said  of   him  that  whatever  the  need,   he 


534  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

stepped  into  the  breach,  whether  it  was  to  pray,  to  preach,  to  plead 
or  to  cry. 

Such  was  the  character  and  spirit  of  the  man  who  helped 
so  much  in  laying  the  foundations  of  a  purer  gospel  in  Pike 

^*  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Holman 

Was  a  unique  personality.  She  was  intelligent,  cultured, 
independent,  self-reliant,  and  had  visited  many  places  of 
interest  in  the  United  States  and  had  traveled  throughout 
Europe,  Egypt  and  Palestine.  She  first  visited  the  Central 
Christian  Church  in  Peoria  during  the  pastorate  of  N.  S. 
Haynes.  At  that  time  she  looked  as  if  she  might  be  fifty 
years  young;  her  actual  age  was  seventy-two.  She  was  a 
widow.  J-Jer  husband  had  lived  and  died  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church — a  devout  Christian  man.  Her  only  living 
child  was  a  married  daughter,  who  soon  after  passed  away. 
Mrs.  Holman  said  to  the  pastor,  in  a  personal  interview,  that 
when  a  young  woman  she  had  heard  Alexander  Campbell 
preach,  and  that  she  could  not  conscientiously  become  a 
member  of  any  church  but  the  Christian ;  that  her  home  had 
never  been  where  there  had  been  such  a  congregation,  and 
so  through  her  Hfe  she  had  stood  aloof  from  all  churches. 
Within  a  few  weeks  she  was  led  by  the  pastor  to  publicly 
accept  Christ  and  place  her  membership  in  the  Central 
Church.  She  was  not  then  a  resident  of  Peoria,  but  was 
later.  When  she  came  to  be  baptized  it  was  found  that  the 
baptistery  had  sprung  a  leak  and  was  empty.  ''There  it  is 
again,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Holman ;  "the  Lord  intends  that  I 
shall  never  be  baptized."  The  minister  assured  her  that  the 
Lord  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  leaky  pool,  but  maybe  the 
devil  had.  At  the  conclusion  of  her  baptism  three  days  after- 
ward, she  said  to  the  two  women  that  assisted  her:  "And 
now,  ladies,  what  do  I  owe  you?"  They  were  shocked  and 
protested.  She  answered :  "It  is  my  custom  to  pay  those 
who  assist  me  in  any  way."  When  further  protest  would 
have  been  rudeness,  they  each  accepted  the  five  dollars  that 
she  gave  each  of  them  and  turned  it  into  the  church  hymnal 


BIOGRAPHIES  535 

fund.  Mrs.  Holman  passed  to  the  life  to  come,  at  the  age 
of  ninety-three  years.  During  the  twenty-one  years  in 
which  she  was  a  member  of  the  Central  Church,  she  gave  to 
it,  to  Eureka  College  and  the  Church  Extension  Society  the 
aggregate  sum  of  $22,000. 

William  Holt. 

Illinois,  1837.  1880,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Holt  was  born  in  Edgar  County.  His  ministry  was 
mainly  there  and  in  the  surrounding  territory.  He  was 
highly  esteemed  as  a  man  and  was  an  able  and  brilliant 
preacher.  Familiar  with  the  Scriptures,  he  presented  their 
teaching  in  a  clear,  logical  and  forceful  manner.  The 
results  of  his  ministry  were  abiding.  His  sun  set  at  his 
life's  noon. 

Thomas  Tilghman  Holton. 

Aberdeen,  O.,  1839. 

Nature  cast  Mr.  Holton  in  a  large  mould.  His  grand- 
father, William  Holton,  served  through  the  War  of  1812  and 
was  in  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe.  There  he  commanded  a 
company  in  which  were  four  of  his  brothers.  He  was  also 
a  member  of  the  first  legislative  body  of  Virginia,  his 
adopted  State.  From  Fanquier  County  he  migrated  to 
Mason  County,  Ky.,  where  William  Holton,  the  father  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born.  His  mother  was  Sally 
Price  Tilghman,  a  native  of  Albemarle  County,  Va.  Both 
branches  of  his  family  were  of  pre-Revolutionary  stock. 

He  enjoyed  superior  educational  advantages.  He  went 
to  the  country  school,  to  Aberdeen  Seminary,  to  the  South- 
western Normal  School  at  Lebanon,  O.,  and  graduated  from 
Bethany  College  July  4,  1862.  Before  he  was  seventeen  he 
was  a  schoolmaster  at  Genntown,  O.  On  a  certificate  marked 
100  he  conducted  a  school  of  eighty-five  pupils  efficiently  for 
nine  months.  Leaving^  Bethany  after  graduation,  he  served 
as  vice-president  of  Jefferson  College,  near  Louisville,  Ky.,  of 
which  O.  A.  Bartholomew  was  president.  Early  in  1864, 
Mr.  Holton  became  the  head  of  Falmouth  Academy.     Miss 


536  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

Sally  E.  Holton,  his  sister,  served  as  assistant.  Under  their 
lead  this  school  did  superior  work  for  two  and  a  half  years. 

In  1866  he  became  pastor  of  the  church  at  Vincennes, 
Ind.  In  1868  he  became  pastor  of  the  church  at  Springfield, 
111.  Next  he  served  the  Berlin  Church,  and  at  the  same  time 
was  principal  of  the  public  schools  there  for  three  years.  In 
1873  he  moved  to  Lincoln  and  served  the  church  there  and 
at  Atlanta  half-time  each.  Thereafter,  with  Lincoln  as  the 
center,  he  ministered  to  many  churches ;  as,  Broadwell, 
Mason  City,  Pekin,  Old  Union,  Hallville,  Emden,  Bethel, 
Delavan  and  Eminence.  The  Old  Union  Church  he  served 
fourteen  and  a  half  years.  In  the  meantime,  he  moved  to 
Tallula  and  served  the  church  there  four  years,  and  to  De 
Land  also,  with  the  same  period  of  pastorate. 

During  his  first  years  in  Lincoln  he  did  considerable 
secular  work,  clerking  in  bank  and  bookstore.  Later,  he 
served  eight  years  as  circuit  clerk  in  Logan  County.  There- 
after, when  his  political  principles  had  improved  and  his  civic 
perspective  became  clarified,  he  stood  for  the  State  Legisla- 
ture on  the  Prohibition  ticket  and  received  five  thousand 
votes. 

His  religious  experiences  have  been  marked.  When  a 
young  man  at  school,  he  had  for  his  room-mate  Ira  J.  Bloom- 
field,  who  won  his  star  in  the  Civil  War.  The  two  attended 
Sunday  school  and  church  together.  Being  well  intentioned, 
they  decided  to  become  members  of  this  church,  provided 
they  could  be  immersed.  The  minister,  however,  desired 
that  they  should  "conform  to  their  religious  usage."  They 
were  likely  lads,  so  the  preacher  left  with  them  a  booklet 
entitled  'Tmmersion  Not  Baptism."  This  declared  that 
immersion  was  ''unscriptural,  inconvenient  and  indecent." 
W^hen  the  dominie  returned  he  found  the  lads  unchanged. 
"Well,  now,"  he  said,  "boys,  we  want  you,  and  will  immerse 
you  if  that  is  your  choice."  Whereupon,  they  declared  that 
neither  he  nor  his  church  had  any  right  to  do  an  unscriptural 
and  indecent  thing  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  In  1858,  Mr. 
Holton  was  baptized  by  Min.   Marsena  Stone  and   received 


BIOGRAPHIES  537 

into  the  Baptist  Church.  He  related  no  visions  nor  won- 
derful experiences.  The  formula  that  the  preacher  used  was 
this:  "My  brother,  upon  a  confession  of  your  faith  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  by  his  authority,  I  baptize  you  into 
the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  for  the  remission  of  sins."  Up  to  this  time  this 
young  man  had  thought  to  become  a  lawyer.  Now  the  good 
Baptist  sisters  urged  him  to  prepare  to  preach  the  gospel; 
thus  God  changed  his  life  purpose.  During  his  four  years 
at  Bethany  he  changed  his  church  affiliation.  On  one  occa- 
sion, George  W.  Minier  said  to  him :  "Brother  Holton,  you 
are  entirely  too  modest."  So  he  entered  into  the  active  work 
of  the  ministry  only  by  the  urgency  of  the  lamented  preacher, 
J.  Z.  Taylor. 

Mr.  Holton's  life  has  been  very  active  and  fruitful.  He 
has  been  much  in  demand  for  public  addresses,  at  Commence- 
ments, on  Memorial  Days,  at  Old  Settlers'  Reunions,  Fourth 
of  July  celebrations  and  Ministerial  Institutes.  He  has 
united  in  marriage  six  hundred  couples,  has  preached  one 
thousand  funerals,  and  led  near  two  thousand  persons  into 
the  kingdom  of  God.  Such  facts  indicate  his  wisdom,  his 
worth  and  his  place  in  the  confidence  and  affections  of  the 
people.  He  has  filled  a  large  place  of  usefulness,  preaching 
in  schoolhouses  and  doing  most  all  sorts  of  miscellaneous 
and  unclassified  Christian  work. 

In  1907  he  moved  to  Bloomington.  Since  then,  his  help- 
ful ministry  has  been  continued  in  the  regions  round  about. 

Joseph  Hosteller. 

Kentucky,  1797.  1870,  Illinois. 

Joseph  Hostetler  was  a  remarkable  man.  He  is  properly 
classified  with  the  pioneer  preachers  of  Indiana,  but  his 
services  in  Illinois  entitle  him  to  this  notice  here. 

He  was  of  German  blood  and  German  Baptist  parentage. 
Though  a  typically  mischievous  boy,  under  the  influence  of 
his  mother  he  very  early  in  life  learned  to  love  the  Scrip- 
tures, particularly  the  biographies    of    the    Old    Testament 


538  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

characters.  In  the  great  revival  of  LSll  he  wished  to  enter 
the  church,  but  his  parents  thought  him  too  young.  But  one 
of  his  companions,  of  his  own  age,  was  received  upon  the 
following  experience,  which  illustrates  the  prevalent  thought 
of  the  time  on  the  subject  of  conversion.  When  asked  to 
describe  the  work  of  grace  upon  his  heart,  the  lad  sobbingly 
replied:  "I  don't  know  as  I  has  any  work  of  grace  to  tell. 
I  is  a  poor  sinner." 

'*Do  you  believe  in  Christ?"  asked  the  leader. 

"Oh,  yes,  ever  since  I  can  recollect." 

When  further  asked  if  he  had  dreamed  anything  remark- 
able, he  related,  in  substance,  as  follows:  He  went  to  bed 
as  usual  in  great  distress;  dreamed  that  he  was  going  he 
knew  not  where,  when  the  devil  met  him  and  was  hurrying 
him  off  toward  hell;  thinking  himself  lost  forever,  just  then 
a  young  man  met  them  and  rescued  him ;'  and  that  he  then 
awoke  in  a  transport  of  joy.  Whereupon,  a  gray-haired 
deacon  arose  and  said:  "Brethern,  I  have  been  a  Baptist  for 
twenty-five  years,  and  ef  I  ever  heerd  a  experience  of  true 
grace,  this  boy  has  given  us  one.  So  it  is  with  the  poor 
sinners.  They  are  goin'  they  know  not  where  'tel  the  Lord 
meets  'em.  I  can  interpret  this  dream.  He's  powerfully 
converted.  Glory  to  God."  This  incident  impressed  young 
Hostetler  deeply.  As  he  had  no  such  experience,  he  read 
the  Bible  through  and  with  remarkable  persistence  searched 
the  New  Testament,  where  he  learned  that  his  faith  in 
Christ  and  repentance  toward  God  should  be  expressed  in 
his  public  confession  of  the  Lord  Jesus  and  his  baptism  "for 
the  remission  of  sins."  In  his  nineteenth  year  he  was  thus 
received  into  the  German  Baptist  Church  by  his  uncle,  Adam 
Hostetler. 

Shortly  thereafter  he  was  married  and  about  the  same 
time  authorized  by  the  church  to  preach.  On  that  solemn 
occasion  his  uncle  presented  him  with  a  small  Bible,  saying: 
"Preach  and  practice  only  what  you  find  in  this  Holy  Book." 
Many  things  were  yet  confused  in  the  thought  of  this  young 
preacher,  but  he  made  daily  use  of  the  Bible  and  an  English 


BIOGRAPHIES  539 

dictionary.  About  1824  the  first  volume  of  the  Christian 
Baptist  fell  into  his  hands,  which  he  read  with  eagerness,  but 
not  with  entire  approbation.  He  was  strong,  self-reliant, 
clear-minded,  purposeful,  and  with  a  tremendous  capacity 
for  work,  both  physical  and  mental.  In  mature  life  he  spoke 
both  the  English  and  German  languages  with  equal  ease  and 
fluency.  He  was  noted  for  the  accuracy  of  his  speech,  both 
in  his  private  conversation  and  in  his  public  addresses. 

Mr.  Hostetler  came  to  Illinois  in  1832  and  settled  on  a 
farm  about  twenty  miles  east  of  the  then  village  of  Decatur. 
There  he  served  as  a  pioneer  farmer  and  preacher,  organ- 
izing in  that  year  what  was  then  called  the  Okaw  Church. 
He  entered  Decatur  the  same  year  to  preach.  The  Meth- 
odists and  Presbyterians  had  preceded  him,  and,  according 
to  the  custom  of  those  days,  bitterly  denounced  his  discourses 
as  Campbellism,  Romanism,  infidelity,  etc.  Such  men  as  he 
are  never  intimidated,  and  a  number  of  the  people,  hearing 
his  message,  believed  in  Jesus  Christ  and  were  baptized. 
The  first  church  in  Decatur,  that  was  Christian  only,  was 
organized  there  by  him  in  1833.  He  moved  there  the  next 
year,  and  during  his  two  years'  residence  supported  his 
family  by  the  practice  of  medicine,  for  which  he  had  fitted 
himself  by  his  unflagging  industry.  He  returned  to  Indiana 
in  1836. 

During  this  period  of  four  years,  he  met  Bushrod  W. 
Henry,  a  mighty,  resolute  and  deeply  religious  Baptist 
preacher.  He  also  met  John  W.  Tyler,  also  a  Baptist  min- 
ister of  fine  mind.  Both  of  these  men  had  come  from 
Kentucky  to  Illinois  in  the  early  thirties.  Under  the  guiding 
influence  of  Mr.  Hostetler,  Mr.  Tyler  discarded  his  ''articles 
of  faith"  for  the  Scriptures  solely  and  dropped  his  denomina- 
tional name  for  Christian  only.  Mr.  Tyler  conducted  the 
obsequies  of  Mr.  Hostetler,  and  in  his  funeral  discourse 
stated  this  fact  as  it  related  to  himself.  Air.  Hostetler 
returned  to  Lovington,  III,  in  1861,  where  he  passed  the 
remnant  of  his  days.  He  was  a  self-reliant  and  aggressive 
leader  of  men. 


540       HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Daniel  Radcliffe  Howe. 

Ohio,  1819.  ^  1905,  Illinois. 

James  Howe,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
a  native  of  Virginia  and  a  Baptist  preacher.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  A/Iahoning  Association  and  came  with  its  members 
into  the  Restoration  movement.  So  spiritually  D.  R.  Howe 
was  both  free-born  and  of  the  blood  royal.  In  his  youth  he 
attended  private  schools  in  Ohio.  In  1835  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Burean  County,  111.  There  at  Leepertown  he  went 
to  school  six  weeks  to  George  W.  Minier.  A  little  knowl- 
edge of  Latin  and  Greek  he  got  by  the  help  of  his  brother- 
in-law,  Amos  Hays.  At  twenty-one  he  taught  the  first 
school  ever  held  in  Green  County,  Wis.  He  became  a 
Christian  in  his  eighteenth  year  and  thereafter  preached 
some  for  seven  years.  Then  he  became  a  settled  minister  of 
the  chureh  at  Princeton  at  a  salary  of  $250  a  year.  He 
served  there  through  a  period  of  ten  years,  during  the  last 
half  of  which  he  received  $1,000  per  year.  Pie  served  the 
churches  at  Washington  two  terms,  Peoria,  Springfield, 
Minonk,  Quincy,  Putnam,  Henry,  Lanark  two  terms,  Monroe, 
Wisconsin  two  terms,  two  terms  at  Princeton,  and  Ulysses, 
Neb.  Besides,  Mr.  Howe  was  a  very  successful  evangeHst 
and  a  noted  builder  of  church  houses.  He  was  one  of  the 
finest  men  of  his  time.  In  him  there  were  combined 
in  an  unusual  degree  the  elements  of  a  great  gospel 
preacher.  He  enlightened  the  mind  by  a  knowledge  of  the 
Scriptures  and  then  appealed  to  the  heart  and  conscience 
with  great  earnestness.  Withal,  he  had  fine  business  ability. 
During  the  fifty  years  of  his  active  ministry  he  missed  the 
public  worship  on  the  Lord's  Day  only  eight  times. 

In  1860  he  was  elected  to  the  House  of  the  State  Legis- 
lature,  where   he   gave   the   great   war   Governor  of   Illinois 

faithful  support.  ^  ,       rr 

John  Houston. 

Near  Blandinsville,  111.,   1848. 

Educated  at  Abingdon  College.  Farmer,  live-stockman 
and   banker.     Elected  to   the   House  of   the   Legislature   in 


BIOGRAPHIES  541 

1908,   1910  and   1912.     Mr.   Houston   has  been   an  elder  in 
the  Blandinsville  Church   for  thirty-five  years. 

The  Houston  Brothers, 

They  were  Washington  J.,  John  Quincy  A.  and  Jefferson 
P.  Houston.  All  natives  of  Bourbon  County,  Ky.  Moved 
to  Bloomington,  Ind.,  in  1840,  and  to  IlHnois  in  1857,  settling 
in  La  Salle  County. 

Washington  J.  Houston. 

Kentucky,  1814.  1873,  Illinois. 

Was  a  very  successful  evangelist,  baptizing  several  thou- 
sand converts,  chiefly  in  central  Illinois.  He  preached  for  a 
time  under  the  auspices  of  the  State  Board  of  Missions, 
served  as  financial  agent  of  Eureka  College,  and  met  all 
errorists  in  public  discussions  as  they  desired.  His  closing 
years  v^ere  spent  at  Marshall,  where  he  died. 

John  Q.  A.  Houston. 

Kentucky,  1821.  1870,  Illinois. 

He  was  employed  as  an  evangelist  in  Marshall  and 
Livingstone  Counties,  and  also  by  the  vState  Board.  He 
was  a  sweet  singer,  which  contributed  to  his  ministerial  work. 
His  labors  reached  south  to  Centralia.  While  engaged  at 
Maroa  in  raising  funds  to  complete  the  church  building,  he 
sickened  and  died  there. 

Jefferson  P.  Houston. 

Kentucky,  1816.  ^  1892,  Missouri. 

His  work  was  confined  to  Livingstone  and  near-by 
counties. 

John  S.  Hozvard. 

Tennessee,  1807.  ^  1890,  Ohio. 

With  his  father's  family  came  to  Illinois  in  1817  and 
became  a  part  of  the  Christian  Settlement  on  Allison  Prairie. 
He  became  one  of  the  earlier  preachers  in  that  section.     He 


542  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

resided  in  Russellville,  where  he  proclaimed  the  gospel  and 
in  the  regions  beyond.  A  true  man  and  faithful  servant  of 
God,  he  passed  on  at  the  age  of  eighty-three. 

William  A.  Hozuard 

Came  from  Kentucky  and  settled  in  the  southern  part  of 
Fulton  County  about  1840.  He  there  cleared  and  cultivated 
his  farm.  His  most  used  tools  were  his  ax  and  mattock.  He 
was  a  strong  man,  both  physically  and  mentally.  For  years 
he  chopped,  grubbed,  split  rails  and  worked  his  land  six  days 
in  the  week,  and  preached  two  or  three  sermons  on  the 
Lord's  Days.  Often  he  would  walk  five  miles,  preach  two 
sermons  in  a  schoolhouse,  and  return  to  his  home  congrega- 
tion for  a  discourse  in  the  evening.  Like  most  men  of  his 
time  and  place,  he  was  clad  in  homespun.  He  was  a  devout 
man,  well  versed  in  the  Scriptures  and  gave  himself  to  his 
Master's  work.  In  a  wide  territory  he  was  well  known  and 
tenderly  loved  by  many  people.    He  moved  to  Texas  in  1857. 

Charles  E.  Hull. 

Salem,  HI.,  1862. 

Mr.  Hull  has  been  a  merchant,  an  editor  and  otherwise 
usefully  and  successfully  engaged.  Pie  was  elected  to  the 
House  of  the  General  Assembly  in  1879  and  to  the  Senate 
in  1896  and  1904.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the  church  at 
Salem. 

Andrezv  J.  Hunter. 

Indiana,  1831.  1913,  Paris,  111. 

Shortly  after  his  birth,  the  parents  of  Mr.  Hunter  moved 
from  Greencastle,  Ind.,  to  Illinois,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in 
Hunter  Township.  He  graduated  from  Edgar  Academy  in 
1848  and  began  his  business  life  as  a  civil  engineer.  Then 
he  studied  law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  in  a  few  years 
became  a  prominent  attorney.  In  1864  he  was  elected  to  the 
State  Senate.  He  was  a  member  of  the  National  House  of 
Representatives  in  the  fifty-third  and  fifty-fifth  Congresses, 
and  rendered  efficient  service  on  various  committees.    During 


BIOGRAPHIES  543 

the  latter,  he  voted  for  the  appropriation  of  fifty  milHon 
dollars  to  be  put  into  the  hands  of  President  McKinley  for 
carrying  on  the  war  with  Spain.  Mr.  Hunter  was  a  lifelong 
Democrat,  but  he  was  always  stronger  than  his  party, 
because  he  possessed  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people 
on  account  of  his  character.  His  heart  always  beat  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  sons  of  toil,  for  from  them  he  sprang.  Hence 
he  championed  the  interests  of  the  laboring  people.  He  was 
a  large-hearted,  generous  and  broad-minded  man,  a  splendid 
*'mixer."  In  the  days  of  his  prime  he  was  a  superior  ['„t- 
form  orator.  For  more  than  fifty  years  he  was  a  member 
of  the  church  at  Paris.  In  addition  to  serving  the  churc'..  as 
trustee  and  elder,  during  all  this  period  he  was  the  chief 
usher  stationed  at  the  main  entrance  at  both  Sunday  meet- 
ings, where  he  received  the  people  with  dignity  and  cordiality. 
And  thousands  found  pleasure  in  going  to  worship  there 
because  of  this  sincere  and  hearty  welcome. 

Harrison  T.  Ireland, 

La  Forte  County,  Ind.,  1848. 

Came  to  Marshall  County,  111.,  in  1855.  A  farmer.  Was 
elected  to  the  House  of  the  Legislature  in  1904-6-8-10.  Mr. 
Ireland  has  long  been  a  useful  member  of  the  Washburn 
Church. 

James  E.  Jewett. 

Belfast,  Me.,  1844.  ^    ^     1912,  Lincoln,  111. 

Came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois  in  1856,  who  settled  on 
the  wild  prairie  in  Livingston  County  four  miles  northeast 
of  Gridley.  His  education  was  received  in  the  public  schools 
of  that  time.  Mr.  Jewett  came  of  fine,  patriotic  stock.  One 
of  his  grandfathers,  John  Cochran,  was  a  member  of  the 
^'Boston  Tea  Party,"  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution  and  an 
inmate  of  a  British  prison  for  nine  months.  His  paternal 
grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  He  himself 
enlisted  Aug.  7,  1862,  as  a  private  in  Company  G,  129th 
Illinois  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  with  superior  courage 


544  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

and  distinction  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  followed  the 
flag  through  all  that  high  carnival  of  blood  and  death  that 
led  to  Atlanta,  to  the  sea  and  to  the  "Grand  Review"  at 
Washington,  D.  C. 

Returning  home,  he  went  to  the  farm,  next  to  the  school- 
room as  teacher,  and  then  to  the  ministry  of  the  gospel.  He 
also  read  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  but  only  little 
of  his  time  was  given  to  the  practice  of  this  profession.  He 
was  also  prominent  in  some  of  the  fraternal  societies  of  the 
State,  and  filled  a  number  of  minor  civil  offices  with  recog- 
nized ability  and  credit. 

His  mind  was  always  alert  and  his  life  full  of  action. 
His  disposition  was  genial  and  kindly  and  his  companionship 
pure  and  helpful.  He  sought  and  saw  the  best  in  human 
life  and  was  serene  in  adversity. 

Hale  Johnson. 

Indiana,  1847.  1902,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Johnson's  father.  Dr.  John  B.  Johnson,  served  as 
assistant  surgeon  during  the  Civil  War.  His  grandfather 
was  a  Baptist  minister  who  was  a  chaplain  in  the  War  of 
1812.  Hale  Johnson  inherited  the  fighting  blood  of  his 
ancestors.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  enlisted  in  Company 
D,  135th  Indiana  Infantry.  He,  with  his  father's  family, 
came  to  Illinois  in  1865. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  an  attorney.  His  residence  was  in 
Newton.  He  became  a  Christian  in  1870.  To  the  close  of 
his  life  he  was  a  praying,  active,  sincere  man.  His  church 
came  first  in  his  life.  His  generosity  was  unfailing.  His 
last  contribution,  made  the  day  before  he  died,  was  to  a 
Christian  Orphans'  Home.  He  was  open-minded,  always 
willing  t3  investigate  and  learn  what  would  contribute  to  the 
religious,  social  and  civic  betterment  of  society. 

At  one  time  he  was  mayor  of  the  city  of  Newton.  In 
1882  he  left  the  Republican  party  because  it  refused  to 
submit  a  prohibition  constitutional  amendment  to  a  vote  of 
the  people.    In  a  public  address  he  gave  Min.  N.  S.  Haynes 


BIOGRAPHIES  545 

the  credit  of  pulling  him  loose  from  his  old  party  moorings. 
Thereafter,  he  was  one  of  the  most  effective,  prominent  and 
influential  party  Prohibitionists  in  America.  He  served  well 
on  committees,  State  and  national.  In  1896  he  was  nomi- 
nated for  Governor.  Later  in  the  same  year  he  was  placed 
on  the  national  ticket  for  the  Vice-Presidency,  with  Joseph 
Levering. for  the  office  of  President.  During  this  campaign 
he  stumped  in  more  than  thirty  States,  speaking  day  and 
night.  While  party  Prohibitionists  have  rarely  been  success- 
ful as  such,  the  fruits  of  their  self-sacrificing  and  heroic 
labors  are  manifest  in  the  growing  public  sentiment  that 
finds  increasing  expression  in  State  and  national  legislation. 
The  Christian  conscience  of  the  nation  has  decreed  that  the 
liquor  traffic  must  die.  The  handwriting  is  even  now  on 
the  wall. 

Mr.  Johnson's  death  was  tragic.  He  had  gone  to  a 
country  merchant  to  try  to  persuade  him  to  settle  a  debt 
peaceably.  The  merchant  became  enraged  and  shot  him.  A 
few  hours  later  the  assassin  committed  suicide.  Air.  John- 
son's untimely  death  was  deplored,  particularly  among 
Prohibitionists.  They  placed  a  beautiful  monument  over  his 
grave  in  the  cemetery  at  Newton. 

William  H.  Johnson 

Was  born  near  Enfield,  111.,  in  1841.  The  family  from 
which  he  came  has  been  noted  for  its  intelligence,  patriotism 
and  loyalty  to  Christian  convictions  for  a  hundred  and  fifty 
years.  His  grandfather,  Arthur  Johnson,  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Revolution.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  such 
education  as  the  time  and  place  of  his  residence  afforded. 
He  became  an  attorney  and  a  Christian  of  intelligence  and 
culture.  Enlisting  in  1861  in  Company  I,  First  Regiment 
Illinois  Cavalry,  he  was  made  first  sergeant,  and  after  four 
years  of  service  he  was  mustered  out  as  first  lieutenant  of 
Company  I,  Ei^g^hty-seventh  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry.  In  1880  he  was  chosen  an  elector  and  voted 
directly  for  Garfield  for  President.     In  1882  he  was  elected 

18 


546  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

to  the  State  Legislature.  He  has  served  several  congrega- 
tions as  preacher  in  charge.  He  is  a  modest,  sympathetic 
and  all-round  Christian  man. 

John  T,  Jones. 

Cincinnati,  O.,  1795.  1877,  Eureka,  111. 

]\Ir.  Jones  was  one  of  the  true  leaders  of  the  Restoration 
movement  in  Illinois  in  its  beginning.  In  1831  he  came  from 
Cincinnati  to  Jacksonville.  There  he  gave  the  church  for 
fifteen  years  active  and  efficient  service.  He  moved  to 
Eureka  in  1847.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  fine  intelligence 
and  culture.  His  hospitality  was  cheerful  and  his  dignity 
commanding.  With  the  beginning  of  the  college,  he  was 
made  a  trustee,  and  for  twenty-five  years  never  missed  a 
board  meeting.  His  discrimination  between  things  funda- 
mental and  incidental  was  superior.  When  objections  were 
urged  to  voluntary  meetings  of  individuals  and  representa- 
tives of  congregations  for  the  most  effective  dissemination 
of  the  truth,  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  answer  these  clearly 
and  conclusively.  He  was  a  minister,  a  schoolmaster  and  a 
writer.  His  counsel  was  always  wise  and  his  spirit  amiable 
and  conciliatory.  His  influence  was  distinctly  constructive. 
The  memory  of  the  just  is  his. 

S.  S.  Jones. 

Bath  County,  Ky.,  1859. 

Educated  in  country  schools,  at  Ladoga  find.)  Normal, 
Owingsville  (Ky.)  Seminary,  North  Middletown  (Ky.) 
College,  and  in  classrooms  as  a  teacher.  Came  to  Illinois  in 
1884,  and  for  a  decade  he  served  the  churches  at  Homer, 
Champaign  and  St.  Joseph.  In  1894  he  became  pastor  of 
the  First  Church  in  Danville,  which  he  continued  to  serve 
for  eight  years.  Then  he  went  to  the  Third  Church,  where 
he  continued  for  ten  years.  When  Mr.  Jones  went  to  Dan- 
ville the  Disciples  numbered  about  150,  with  a  property 
worth  about  $3,000.  At  the  close  of  his  eighteen  years  he 
left  four  churches  whose  combined  membership  is  near  two 


BIOGRAPHIES  547 

thousand,    all    well    housed    in    properties    whose    aggregate 

value  is  about  $85,000.     He  received  into  the  congregations 

there  near  two  thousand  people,  fourteen  hundred  of  whom 

were  by  primary  obedience.     That  work  will  be  his  enduring 

memorial.  t-     ^     t     j 

E.  A.  J  or don. 

Rockport,  Ind.,  1880. 

The  facts  in  this  sketch  were  furnished  the  author  by 
Mr.  Jordon  in  writing. 

His  parents  were  both  devout  members  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  He  attended  the  public  schools.  In  1888 
the  father  sold  his  farm,  moved  to  New  Boston,  Ind.,  in  the 
same  county,  and  there  engaged  in  the  grocery  and  saloon 
business — a  business  not  thought  to  be  inconsistent  among 
Roman  Catholics.  The  son  was  then  placed  in  the  parochial 
school  there,  which  was  taught  by  the  sisters.  In  this  school 
the  doctrines  of  the  Roman  Church  were  given  prominence 
and  the  rudiments  of  true  education  were  sadly  neglected. 
At  ten  years  of  age  he  was  confirmed  by  Bishop  Donahue, 
of  IndianapoHs.  Shortly  thereafter,  his  mother  died,  leaving 
three  sons.  She  had  dedicated  this  son  in  his  early  life  to 
the  priesthood,  and  her  dying  request  of  her  husband  was 
that  he  would  send  this  son  to  St.  Meinrod  Monastery  to 
prepare  him,  that  she  might  thus  fulfill  her  vow.  In  that 
institution,  which  was  in  charge  of  the  Benedictines,  he 
remained  eight  years.  He  completed  the  college  course  and 
received  the  A.B.  degree.  Then  two  years  were  passed  in 
the  seminary,  where  he  took  the  minor  vows  and  deacons* 
orders.  He  was  held  to  this  work  by  the  memory  of  his 
mother's  vow.  It  was  a  custom  of  the  seminary  for  the  stu- 
dents to  be  sent  out  on  Sundays  to  near-by  hamlets,  to 
conduct  "missions"  or  religious  services.  He,  with  others  of 
his  fellow-students,  went  to  Eddyville  one  third  Sunday  in 
the  month.  They  found  the  room  they  expected  to  use  occu- 
pied by  a  band  of  people  who  called  themselves  "Christians." 
Min.  Ira  Scott,  an  elderly  man,  preached.  He  announced 
that  the   Catholic    students    were    there    to    conduct    their 


548         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

''mission"  and  asked  the  people  to  remain  and  hear  them. 
This  kindness  caused  the  students  to  feel  rather  small,  since 
they  had  remained  outside  the  building  throuHi  j\Ir.  Scott's 
meeting.  At  the  close  of  the  students'  ''r.iission,"  one  of 
them,  Loyola  Chatron,  challenged  Mr.  Scott  to  debate  the 
question  which  of  the  two  churches  was  right.  Chatron  was 
well  versed  in  the  traditions  and  doctrines  of  Rome,  was 
brilliant,  and  had  recently  come  from  the  Jesuit  College  in 
Rome.  He  had  a  mighty  good  opinion  of  himself.  Min. 
W.  B.  F.  Treat  represented  the  church  of  Christ  and  Mr. 
Chatron  the  Romanists  in  a  week's  public  debate.  Mr. 
Treat's  powerful  logic  in  presenting  the  word  of  God  and 
facts  of  history  was  irresistible.  The  first  result  of  the  dis- 
cussion was  that  five  students  of  the  monastery  left  the 
Roman  Church.  Mr.  Jordon  was  one  of  these.  For  a  year 
thereafter  he  was  tossed  about  on  a  sea  of  doubt.  He 
regarded  all  Protestants  as  alike.  Finally,  he  found  the 
people  who  took  the  word  of  God  as  the  only  rule  of  faith 
and  practice.  lie  was  baptized  by  Min.  J.  T.  Jacobs,  of 
Rockport,  Ind.,  and  greatly  enjoys  his  freedom  in  Jesus 
Christ.  He  later  baptized  his  father,  who  had  opposed  his 
son's  leaving  the  Roman  Church  in  every  possible  way.  Mr. 
Jordon  is  pastor  of  the  church  at  La  Harpe. 

Jacob  Judy 

Became  a  Christian  in  Greene  County,  O.,  before  he  was 
fifteen  years  of  age  and  just  before  a  church  of  Christ  was 
organized  in  his  home.  This  was  early  in  August,  1828. 
He  applied  for  and  received  a  letter,  of  which  the  following 
is  a  copy: 

The  Baptized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  meeting  at  Brother  Jacob 
Darst's,  Greene  County,  Ohio,  believing  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testaments  to  be  the  Word  of  God  and  the  only  and  all- 
sufficient  rule  of  faith  and  practice  to  any  Christian  Church,  and 
whereas  our  Brother  Jacob  Judy,  having  requested  a  letter  of  dis- 
mission in  order  to  join  a  church  where  God  in  his  divine  providence 
may  cast  his  lot,  This  is  to  certify  that  he  is  a  member  in  good  stand- 
ing and  in  full  fellowship  with  us  and  his  brethren  in  the  Lord,  and 


BIOGRAPHIES  549 

when  received  by  you  he  is  dismissed  from  us.  And  may  the  God  of 
all  grace  preserve  you  and  him  to  his  Heavenly  Kingdom  is  the 
prayer  of  your  brethren  in  the  Gospel  bonds. 

Done  by  order  of  the  church  when  met  on  Saturday  before  the 
third  Lord's  day  in  August,  1828.  Jacob  Darst,  Clerk. 

Signed  in  behalf  of  the  Church. 

Mr.  Judy's  recollection  was  that  this  w^as  a  Baptist 
church.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1824.  He  helped  to  build  the 
first  house  in  Mackinaw,  and  then  assisted  Mordecai  Mobley, 
who  lived  and  kept  a  store  in  this  building.  Later,  Mr. 
Judy  built  him  a  home  in  Hittle's  Grove,  and  was  one  of  the 
active  Christian  men  of  the  neighborhood.  Later  his  home 
was  in  Atlanta,  where  he  died  in  September,  1903.  Had  he 
lived  till  the  following  January,  he  would  have  been  one 
hundred  years  old.  He  always  wished  to  say  a  word  or  two 
at  every  meeting.  The  substance  of  his  talks  was:  ''Let  us 
love  one  another.  How  great  is  the  goodness  of  God." 
These  words  will  always  go  with  his  memory. 

/.  /.  Judy. 

Mackinaw,  111.,  1832.  1913,  Independence,  Mo. 

Mr.  Judy  became  a  Christian  in  1848  under  the  preach- 
ing of  Walter  P.  Bowles.  He  gave  about  forty  years  to  the 
ministry.  His  work  was  mainly  in  Tazewell,  Logan,  Mason 
and  Fulton  Counties.  For  a  period  of  twenty  years  he 
received  an  average  of  one  hundred  persons  by  conversion, 
and  organized  twelve  congregations.  His  work  also  reached 
out  into  Iowa,  Missouri  and  Arkansas. 

Col.  J.  IV.  Judy. 

Clark  County,  Ky.,  1822. 

During  the  years  of  his  active  life,  Mr.  Judy  was  one  of 
the  most  favorably  and  widely  known  men  in  the  State.  Fie 
was  colonel  of  the  114th  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  In  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg  he  was  on  the  firing-line  for  forty-five 
days.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1851,  and  was  a  farmer  in 
Menard  County.     After  the  war,  he  served  as  a  member  of 


550  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

the  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  and  during  a  period  was  its 
president.  He  was  an  expert  on  thoroughbred  cattle,  and 
traveled  from  ocean  to  ocean  as  an  auctioneer  of  such  live 
stock.  He  is  a  fine  type  of  Christian  gentleman.  His  wife, 
Mrs.  Kate  A.  S.  Judy,  was  a  daughter  of  J.  W.  Simpson, 
of  Clary's  Grove  Church,  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  many 
for  her  Christian  activity  and  usefulness.  The  home  was 
at  Tallula,  where  Mr.  Judy  waits  in  the  twilight  of  life  for 
the  eternal  morning. 

Andrezv  J.  Kane. 

Guilford  County,  N.  C.,  1817.        1896,  Springfield,  111. 

Both  of  Mr.  Kane's  parents  died  in  his  infancy.  He 
grew  to  manhood  in  the  home  of  his  eldest  brother,  Morri- 
son Kane.  This  was  in  Indiana.  At  Indianapolis,  in  1836, 
he  became  a  Christian  under  the  preaching  of  John  O'Kane 
and  Love  H.  Jameson.  At  twenty-one  he  began  life  for  him- 
self. He  went  to  Chicago,  thence  to  Peoria,  and  on  to 
Sangamon  County  in  1839.  His  first  work  there  was  to 
assist  in  building  the  first  bridge  across  the  Sangamon  River. 
By  trade  he  was  a  carpenter.  Uniting  with  the  church  in 
Springfield,  he  was  led  by  its  members  to  give  his  Hfe 
to  the  Christian  ministry ;  hence,  he  began  the  study  of 
Hebrew,  Latin,  Greek  and  English  Literature  under  private 
tutors.  Later,  he  was  ordained  by  the  church.  Of  Mr. 
Kane's  ministry,  T.  T.  Holton  has  well  written : 

His  field  of  labor  was  central  Illinois,  though  he  at  times  passed 
the  border  of  the  State.  He  went  on  horseback  with  his  saddle-bags 
behind  him — in  one  side  was  his  Bible ;  in  the  other,  baggage.  He 
rode  through  a  country  sparsely  inhabited  and  when  there  were  but 
few  settled  pastors.  No  man  was  better  known  than  he — no  voice 
more  widely  heard  in  those  early  days  of  the  settlement  and  develop- 
ment of  central  Illinois.  Meetings  were  held,  churches  organized, 
infant  congregations  cared  for.  and  occasionally  an  encounter  was 
had  with  some  champion  of  opposition  in  public  debate.  Some  of  his 
evangelistic  meetings  were  marvelously  successful  for  the  time,  and 
his  converts  ran  into  the  thousands.  He  regarded  not  the  clouds  or 
the  wind.  I  have  seen  him  ride  up  to  his  door  with  his  ears  frozen 
and  his  beard  bristling  with  icicles,  but  never  for  a  moment  thinking 


ANDREW  J.  KANE. 


DAVID  D.  MILLER. 


JOHN  W.  TYLER. 


gi^P  t 


JOHN  ENGLAND. 


BIOGRAPHIES  551 

of  quitting  his  work.  It  was  with  great  reluctance  that  within  a  year 
of  his  death,  at  eighty  years  of  age,  he  found  he  must  rehnquish  all 
further  efforts  to  preach. 

Mr.  Kane  was  a  passionate  lover  of  the  Bible.  He 
devoured  its  great  truths.  He  was  jealous  of  its  integrity 
and  its  interpretation.  Always  abreast  of  the  times  in 
religious  thought,  he  vigorously  opposed  the  trend  of 
destructive  criticism.  Judge  W.  E.  Nelson  said  of  him: 
*'He  was  a  most  efficient  preacher  of  the  gospel — a  man  of 
great  power — deeply  convinced  of  the  authority  and  sover- 
eignty of  God,  of  the  divinity  of  the  Christ  and  of  the  force 
and  authority  of  the  Bible."  He  was  a  reasoner  rather  than 
an  exhorter,  but  his  sermons  appealed  both  to  the  imagina- 
tion and  the  conscience.  A  careful  reader  and  painstaking 
student,  this  master  workman  was  heard  by  intelligent  people, 
even  in  his  closing  years,  with  delight.  A  wide-visioned 
man,  he  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  State  and  General 
Missionary  Societies.  One  who  knew  him  well  said:  ''When 
Bro.  Kane  stands  like  a  giant  before  the  congregation,  shuts 
his  lips  together,  runs  his  left  hand  under  his  chin,  and  gives 
an  emphatic  look  upward  and  all  around,  you  are  going  to 
hear  something." 

"His  life  was  gentle;  and  the  elements 
So  mild  in  him,  that  Nature  might  stand  up. 
And  say  to  all  the  world,  This  was  a  man." 

Dr.  A.  L.  Kcllar. 

Oldham  County,  Ky.,  1827.  1908,  Covina,  Cal. 

Was  the  youngest  of  eight  children.  He  received,  for 
his  time,  an  exceptionally  good  education  in  Bacon  College, 
and  graduated  from  the  medical  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  1851.  In  the  same  year  he  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry.  He  came  to  Decatur,  III,  in  1852 
and  began  his  practice  there,  but  most  of  the  years  of  his 
active  life  were  passed  at  Sullivan.  There  he  was  one  of 
the  most  persevering  and  efficient  men  the  church  ever  had. 
His  medical  practice  was  very  large,  but  much  of  it  paid 


552  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

him  little  or  no  money.  His  disposition  was  most  charitable. 
For  forty- four  years  he  practiced  the  healing  art  for  both 
body  and  soul.  He  was  rugged  in  body,  vigorous  in  mind 
and  energetic  in  action.  His  faithful  services  were  a  distinct 
contribution  to  the  foundations  of  society  in  the  counties  of 
Macon,  Moultrie  and  Shelby.  He  was  well  known  and 
highly  esteemed  by  many  for  his  integrity  of  character. 
Min.  E.  H.  Kellar,  of  California,  is  his  son. 

//.  F.  Kellar. 

Oldham  County,  Ky.,  1825.  1902,  Effingham,  HI. 

Mr.  Kellar  and  his  brother,  Dr.  A.  L.  Kellar,  were  sons 
of  A.  H.  Kellar,  a  Baptist  minister  who  came  to  Moultrie 
County  in  1832.  There  meeting  Joseph  Hostetler,  he  chose 
to  be  simply  a  Christian  and  assisted  in  the  formation  of  the 
West  Okaw  Church  of  Christ.  H.  Y.  Kellar's  education 
was  limited  to  the  common  schools  of  that  time,  but  he  came 
to  be  a  well-informed  and  well-developed  man.  For  a  num- 
ber of  years  he  served  as  a  schoolmaster.  In  1847  he  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry  by  the  West  Okaw  Church.  He 
served  congregations  in  Indiana,  Kentucky,  Missouri,  Iowa 
and  California,  but  the  larger  part  of  his  ministry  was  given 
to  Illinois,  both  as  evangelist  and  pastor.  He  assisted  in  the 
organization  of  the  State  Missionary  Society  at  Shelbyville 
in  1850,  and  was  a  member  of  its  board  of  managers  for 
many  years.  He  was  always  the  advocate  of  an  educated 
ministry.  He  was  an  earnest  preacher,  but  not  a  disputant. 
He  was  a  ready  helper  in  every  good  work,  a  wise  coun- 
selor and  a  faithful  servant  of  God  and  his  fellow-men. 

Nathan  M.  Knapp. 

Member  of  Winchester  Church.  Alember  of  the  Consti- 
tutional Convention  of  1847,  of  State  Legislature  in  1850, 
and  paymaster  in  the  Federal  Army  in  the  sixties.  Retired 
with  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel.  Mr.  Knapp  was  a  man  full  of 
vigor  and  action  and  exerted  a  wide  influence. 


BIOGRAPHIES  553 

James  Worcester  Knight. 

Illinois,  1869.  1902,  California. 

Was  a  son  of  Moses  H.  Knight.  Attended  school  at 
Eureka.  Was  engaged  in  the  newspaper  business  and  in  the 
public  advocacy  of  good  citizenship.  In  this  later  work,  Sec. 
J.  Fred  Jones  met  him  in  1896  and  induced  him  to  enter  the 
ministry.  He  served  the  churches  at  Browning,  Youngs- 
town,  Frederick,  Carlinville  and  Champaign.  When  the 
University  Place  Church  was  nearing  completion  in  1902 
under  his  leadership,  ill  health  compelled  him  to  go  to  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  died  the  next  spring. 

Moses  H.  Knight. 

Vermont,  1830.  1878,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Knight's  parents  were  devout  old-school  Presby- 
terians, while  an  uncle,  who  had  much  influence  over  him, 
was  an  earnest  Congregationalist.  He  was  educated  in  a 
Baptist  school.  These  surroundings  greatly  perplexed  him 
in  his  religious  views.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1850,  settling 
in  the  western  part  of  McLean  County.  He  heard  Min.  J. 
G.  Campbell  present  the  simple  New  Testament  teaching,  and 
accepted  with  joy.  He  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  in  1858, 
and  continued  faithfully  therein  for  a  period  of  twenty 
years.  He  served  the  churches  at  Lower  and  Upper  White 
Oak  and  various  communities  in  the  northeast  part  of  the 
county,  where  he  was  associated  with  Mr.  Campbell  in  evan- 
gelistic work.  In  his  preaching  trips  he  traveled  horseback 
or  walked.  Much  of  his  service  was  without  financial  com- 
pensation. He  was  a  pure,  true  and  efficient  servant  of  God 
and  men. 

A.  R.  Knox. 

New  York,  1824.  1914,  Waukegan,  III. 

Shortly  after  his  marriage  in  1846,  Mr.  Knox,  with  his 
wife,  came  to  Lake  County,  III.  Both  were  active  members 
of  the  Baptist  Church.  He  was  a  ''licentiate"  and  she  a 
pioneer  and  leader  in  all  church  work.  He  heard  that  a 
minister  had  been  traveling  in  Kentucky,  Ohio  and  Indiana, 


554         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

and  that  his  ''preaching  was  tearing  Baptist  churches  all  to 
pieces."  On  inquiring,  he  learned  that  the  name  of  this 
disrupter  was  Alexander  Campbell.  There  were  at  that 
time  a  few  Disciples  scattered  through  that  section  who  had 
come  from  Ohio.  Some  of  them  loaned  Mr.  Knox  a  copy 
of  the  ''Christian  Baptist."  Before  they  had  read  the  book 
half  through,  he  and  his  wife  were  in  full  accord  with  the 
principles  and  aims  of  the  Restoration  movement.  To  these 
their  lives  were  devoted.  They  were  the  parents  of  Mrs. 
Louise  Kelly,  so  widely  and  favorably  known  as  a  Christian 
woman  of  superior  ability  and  usefulness.  For  more  than 
half  a  century,  Mr.  Knox  lived  and  labored  in  Lake  County 
for  the  primitive  gospel.  With  a  well-informed  faith,  he 
was  as  immovable  as  a  mountain.  In  his  evening-time  he 
waited  in  the  twilight  of  the  eternal  day. 

E.  J.  Lampton. 

Was  born  in  Kentucky,  reared  in  Missouri,  became  a  Chris- 
tian in  1852,  entered  the  ministry  in  1859,  and  continues 
therein.  He  gave  twenty  years'  work  to  Illinois,  during 
which  time  he  baptized  about  three  thousand  people  and 
added  not  a  few  others  to  the  churches.  His  work,  like  his 
character,  is  of  the  substantial  kind. 

6'.  S.  Lappin. 

Wayne  County,  111.,  1870. 

The  same  year  his  parents  moved  to  Missouri.  Six 
years  thereafter,  while  the  family  was  returning  in  a  movers' 
wagon  to  their  former  home  in  Illinois,  the  father  died  and 
was  buried  on  the  way.  S.  S.  Lappin  grew  to  his  majority 
on  the  farm,  working  there  and  in  stores,  and  attending  and 
teaching  schools.  At  the  age  of  six  years  he  had  read 
McGuffey's  old  "Third  Reader"  through  three  times,  having 
learned  the  words  by  spelling  them  aloud  to  his  mother, 
whose  eyesight  was  too  dim  to  make  out  the  letters.  At 
twenty-one  he  began  to  preach  in  schoolhouses  and  country 
churches,  but  was  still  selling  goods  in  a  store  in  Fairfield. 


BIOGRAPHIES  555 

After  one  year  in  Eureka  College,  he  served  the  churches 
at  Toluca,  Washburn,  Paxton,  Atlanta  and  Stanford.  He 
entered  the  editorial  office  of  the  Christian  Standard  in  1909, 
where  he  continues  as  its  managing  editor.  Through  the 
school  of  early  adversity,  his  native  endowments,  with  grace 
and  grit,  have  led  him  to  a  place  of  great  usefulness. 

He  has  two  brothers  who  are  twins,  and  were  born  after 
their  father's  death :  John  C,  a  teacher  in  Phillips  University, 
Enid,  Okla.,  and  William  O.,  a  teacher  in  Atlantic  Christian 
College,  Wilson,  N.  C. 

Richard  and  Henry  C.  Latham — Father  and  Son. 

James  Latham,  the  father  of  Richard,  was  the  first  settler 
within  the  bounds  of  what  is  now  Logan  County.  He  was 
a  Virginian,  but  came  to  Illinois  from  Union  County,  Ky., 
where  all  of  his  ten  children  were  born. 

Richard  Latham  was  born  about  1799,  and  came  to 
Illinois  in  1819,  soon  after  locating  at  Elkhart.  There  he 
was  married  and  built  the  best  residence  of  the  early  settlers. 
This  home  came  to  be  known  near  and  far  as  one  of  unusual 
hospitality  even  in  that  period  of  domestic  generosity.  He 
became  a  Christian  during  the  wide-reaching  revival  in 
which  Robert  Foster  was  the  chief  factor.  For  several 
years  he  went  to  the  Lake  Fork  Church,  eight  miles  east  of 
Elkhart,  and  rarely  missed  a  meeting  there.  When  not 
there,  the  order  of  the  Lord's  house  was  maintained  in  his 
own  home.  This  led  to  the  formation  of  the  Elkhart  con- 
gregation. In  1852  he  moved  to  Springfield.  He  was  soon 
made  an  elder  of  the  church  there,  and  filled  this  place  till 
his  passing  in  1868.     Of  him  a  writer  has  well  said: 

Of  the  character  of  Richard  Latham  we  find  only  good  to  record. 
He  was  a  man  whose  honor  was  dear  to  him  as  his  own  life  and 
whose  word  was  sacred  as  his  oath.  While  his  career  in  the  main 
savored  little  of  adventure  or  striking  achievement,  it  was  enriched 
throughout  by  kindness  and  the  benefactions  which  quietly  but  cease- 
lessly welled  up  from  the  bounty  of  his  nature,  endearing  him  to  all 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  For  miles  around  he  was  known  as 
"Uncle  Dick,"  and  the  whole  community  looked  to  him  as  arbitrator, 


556         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

guardian  and  adviser,   rarely  questioning   the   wisdom   voiced   in  his 
gentle  counsels. 

He  presided  at  the  Lord's  table  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
all  present  feel  thrilled  and  worshipful.  When  his  sacred 
dust  was  borne  away  to  its  final  resting-place,  the  number 
of  gray-haired  men  who  followed  was  a  sight  to  see. 

The  epitomized  character  of  Henry  C.  Latham  may  be 
written  in  four  words — an  ideal  Christian  gentleman.  He 
is  a  worthy  son  of  an  honored  sire.  For  many  years  he  has 
been  steadfast  and  reliable  in  the  First  Church  of  Springfield. 
There  is  no  part  of  the  worship  that  he  has  not  led  and  no 
part  of  the  service  that  he  has  not  performed,  and  all  has 
been  done  well.    He  has  been  a  lifelong  student. 

John  Lemmon. 

Sangamon  County,  111.,  1838. 

Grew  up  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  public  school.  En- 
listed in  Company  D,  Thirty-third  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 
Lost  his  right  leg  and  index  finger  on  his  left  hand  in  the 
battle  of  Black  River — the  last  stand  the  Confederates  made 
outside  of  Vicksburg. 

After  the  war,  attended  Bible  College  at  Lexington,  Ky., 
three  years.  Then  taught  school.  Entered  the  ministry  in 
1874.  Has  served  fourteen  congregations  in  central  Illinois, 
that  at  Buffalo  seven  years. 

Mr.  Lemmon  is  a  man  of  clear  and  deep  convictions — 
sincere,  frank  and  outspoken.  When  a  ministerial  institute 
had  given  a  half-day  to  the  consideration  of  an  unprofitable 
subject,  he  then  publicly  asked :  "How  long  will  it  take  this 
kind  of  talk  to  convert  the  world?"  Tie  holds  that  the  same 
wise  economy  should  be  used  in  the  management  of  public 
trusts  as  is  exercised  in  one's  personal  business. 

Silas  White  Leonard. 

Louisville,  Ky.,  1814.  1870,  near  Centralia,  111. 

His  parents  dying  when  he  was  quite  young,  he  was 
adopted   by  a   Captain  White,   a   Baptist,   who   reared   and 


BIOGRAPHIES  557 

educated  him  in  Ohio.  He  began  to  preach  the  primitive 
gospel  at  the  age  of  twenty,  but  spent  much  time  in  teaching 
vocal  music  for  the  next  eight  years.  About  1848  he,  with 
A.  D.  Fillmore,  pubhshed  "The  Christian  Psalmist."  It  was 
in  figure- faced  notes  and  was  the  first  hymnal  having  the 
music  ever  in  use  among  the  churches  of  Christ.  It  reached 
a  circulation  of  560,000  copies.  In  1856  he  moved  from 
Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  to  his  farm  near  Centralia,  where  he 
resided  to  the  close  of  his  life.  From  that  point  he  went  out 
and  preached  in  many  places.  He  was  a  sweet-spirited,  but 
an  aggressive  and  progressive,  preacher. 

Five  days  before  his  death  he  rode  nine  miles  horseback 
and  gave  a  temperance  lecture.  The  cold  thus  contracted 
hastened  his  demise.  He  had  just  finished  a  new  'Tsalmist" 
in  both  kinds  of  notes,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,  and  had  placed 
the  material  in  the  publisher's  hand  when  his  call  came. 

Cicero  J.  Lindly. 

Near  St.  Jacobs,  111.,  1857. 

Graduated  in  scientific  and  law  departments  of  McKen- 
dree  College  and  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1879.  He  has 
farmed  extensively  and  has  been  active  in  civil  life  for  many 
years.  Fie  has  served  as  county  judge  in  Bond  County,  was 
Presidential  elector  in  1884,  and  served  also  as  Railroad  and 
Warehouse  Commissioner.  Was  elected  to  the  House  of  the 
Legislature  in  1902,  1904  and  1906.  Mr.  Lindly  is  an  active 
member  of  the  Greenville  Church. 

James  A.  Lindsey. 

Kentucky,  1792.  1872,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Lindsey  came  to  Illinois  in  1824  and  settled  in  Taze- 
well County.  At  that  time  he  was  a  Baptist.  In  1827  he 
associated  himself  with  the  Disciples.  He  was  a  reverent 
and  faithful  student  of  the  Bible,  and  early  in  his  life  became 
a  preacher  of  the  primitive  gospel.  He  resided  on  his  farm. 
He  carried  a  small  copy  of  the  New  Testament  in  his  pocket, 
and  as  he  plowed  he  read  and  thought  on  the  Word.     This 


558         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

was  a  custom  of  most  of  the  pioneers.  He  was  the  leading 
spirit  in  the  formation  of  the  Mackinaw  Church  in  1837, 
which  at  once  formally  recognized  his  ability  and  fitness  to 
preach  the  gospel  and  commissioned  him  thereto.  After 
that,  his  wife  superintended  the  farm  and  his  sons  did  most 
of  the  work  there.  One  year  he  evangelized  on  the  condi- 
tion that  his  brethren  pay  the  wages  of  a  male  helper  on  his 
farm.  Most  of  his  ministry,  reaching  through  sixty  years, 
brought  him  little  or  no  money  compensation.  Much  of  his 
work  was  done  in  Tazewell  County,  but  he  also  evangelized 
and  formed  congregations  in  McLean,  DeWitt  and  Marshall 
Counties,  also  west  of  the  Illinois  River.  His  style  of 
preaching  was  exegetical.  He  read  and  unfolded  a  chapter, 
more  or  less.  His  sermons  usually  continued  from  one  and 
a  half  to  tvv^o  hours.  He  taught  people  publicly  and  from 
house  to  house.  This  was  the  business  of  his  life.  Once 
where  he  stayed  overnight  he  so  taught  the  host  and  his 
wife  that  they  expressed  the  wish  to  enter  the  Christian  life. 
The  next  morning,  before  leaving,  he  immersed  them.  He 
patiently  bore  the  derision  that  was  too  often  thrown  at  the 
Disciples  in  the  earher  years.  As  he  rode  quietly  along  the 
roads  he  sometimes  would  hear  people  say:  'There  goes  a 
Campbellite.  See  the  hump  on  his  back."  He  was  ardently 
missionary  in  his  convictions,  teaching  and  life.  Three  of 
his  sons  were  preachers.  From  his  home  near  Lilly,  where 
he  had  resided  for  thirty-eight  and  a  half  years,  he  passed 
to  his  great  reward. 

John  Lindsey. 

Christian  County,  Ky.,  1821.  1887,  Eureka,  111. 

Came  with  his  parents  to  Tazewell  County  in  1824.  Was 
a  son  of  James  A.  Lindsey.  Graduated  at  Bethany  College 
in  1848.  For  some  time  was  a  traveling  companion  in  the 
ministry  with  Alexander  Campbell.  Was  a  teacher  in  Wal- 
nut Grove  Academy  and  a  valuable  helper  at  Eureka  College 
in  many  ways  through  many  years.  He  served  as  pastor 
with  many  churches,  but  was  more  engaged  in  evangelistic 


BIOGRAPHIES  559 

work.  About  five  thousand  persons  were  added  to  the 
churches  through  his  efforts.  Mr.  Lindsey's  Ufe  was  a  very 
useful  one  to  his  time.  He  was  always  outspoken  on  the 
right  side  of  every  moral  question. 

Henry  C.  Littleton. 

Ipava,  III,  1851. 

Received  such  education  as  the  common  schools  afforded. 
After  his  baptism  by  Dr.  J.  H.  Brinkerhoff  in  1867,  he 
served  as  a  lay  preacher.  Then  he  traveled  with  some  of 
the  strong  preachers  of  that  time,  by  whom  he  was  instructed 
in  the  things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God.  He  served 
the  churches  at  New  Philadelphia,  Bryant,  Cuba,  La  Harpe, 
Barry,  Mason  City,  Pekin  and  Astoria.  He  was  a  single- 
purposed,  guileless  and  industrious  preacher  vv^hose  service 
was  always  constructive.     He  moved  to  Iowa  in  1900. 

F.  M.  Lollar. 

Ingraham,  111.,  1840. 

Mr.  Lollar  grew  to  manhood  on  a  farm  in  Clay  County 
and  attended  the  subscription  and  public  schools  of  his  com- 
munity. He  entered  the  military  service  in  October,  1861, 
and  served  four  years  and  three  months  in  Company  F, 
Forty-sixth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  discharged 
with' the  rank  of  captain.  Upon  his  return  home  he  attended 
school  and  taught  schools.  He  did  not  begin  to  preach  until 
1882.  Then  he  served  the  Ingraham  Church  part  time  for 
twenty  years  and  the  Union  Chapel  Church  for  eleven  years. 
He  held  many  successful  revivals  in  Clay  and  Effingham 
Counties.  He  was  a  good  man  of  fine  common  sense,  whose 
work  the  Lord  richly  blessed.  He  moved  from  his  farm  in 
1904  to  Olney  and  from  there  in  1908  to  Wynne,  Ark. 

Fenton  Lmmn 

Was  another  of  the  old-time  preachers  of  White  County. 
He  lived  in  Seven-mile  Prairie.  His  labors  were  contem- 
poraneous with  those  of  Moses  Goodwin.     While  he  always 


560  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

resided  on  his  farm,  he  was  a  man  of  some  culture.  He 
was  a  pleasing  and  inspiring  speaker.  A  man  who  had  been 
reared  a  Methodist  heard  Mr.  Lumm  preach  one  day.  At 
the  close  of  the  sermon,  with  tears  streaming  down  his 
cheeks,  he  turned  to  the  man  who  sat  next  to  him  and  said: 
"That  is  the  first  Methodist  sermon  I  ever  heard  in  my  life." 
Jonas  Lumm,  of  Grayville,  who  was  also  an  old-time 
preacher,  was  Fenton's  brother. 

Alexander  McCollum, 

Washington  County,  Pa.,  1820.        1895,  Taylorville,  111. 

Grew  up  on  a  farm  in  Miami  County,  O.,  and  received 
his  early  education  there.  Taught  school  and  studied  medi- 
cine, but  did  not  graduate.  First  united  with  the  Baptist 
Church,  but,  hearing  Alexander  Campbell  in  a  public  debate, 
he  took  the  Bible  alone  as  the  rule  of  his  faith  and  practice. 
Was  licensed  to  preach  in  1844  as  a  man  of  recognized 
ability.  He  came  to  Morgan  County  about  1850.  In  that 
section  he  was  associated  with  D.  P.  Henderson,  W.  W. 
Happy  and  others  in  evangelistic  work.  He  became  the 
pastor  of  the  Taylorville  Church  in  1856,  but  in  1858  moved 
to  a  farm  in  Locust  Creek  Township.  There,  in  a  settle- 
ment of  Ohioans,  he  formed  a  Christian  congregation  that 
gave  P.  D.  Vermillion  to  the  ministry.  This  band  never 
built  a  chapel.  In  1863,  Mr.  McCollum  returned  to  Taylor- 
ville, where  he  resided  till  the  close  of  his  Hfe.  He  rendered 
the  church  there  most  valuable  help.  From  that  place  he 
preached  in  all  the  surrounding  region  for  miles  and  years. 
He  led  Mrs.  Henry  Davis  to  the  Lord — she  was  the  mother 
of  Mrs.  Hoover  and  Mrs.  Detterding,  both  of  honored 
memory.  Mrs.  Davis  and  her  husband  built  the  present 
house  of  worship  in  Taylorville. 

Mr.  McCollum  lived  in  a  time  when  liquor  was  in  most 
homes,  but  he  never  knew  its  taste.  In  his  ministry  he  vvas 
intrepid  and  aggressive.  On  one  occasion  he  entered  a 
denominational  assembly  in  the  country.  The  regular  min- 
ister did  not  come;  so  the  leaders,  after  a  private  consulta- 


BIOGRAPHIES  561 

tion,  asked  the  unorthodox  McCollum  to  "make  a  few 
remarks."  He  opened  up  with  such  unction  that  there  were 
tears  in  many  eyes  and  not  a  few  fervent  ''Amens.''  He 
came  to  the  great  commission,  and  the  tears  gave  place  to 
disappointment  and  the  *'Amens"  to  vexation.  Next  he 
stood  on  Mt.  Zion  under  the  throne  of  the  King  and  amid 
the  fiery  tongues  of  Pentecost.  The  preacher's  words  did 
not  affect  the  people  like  those  of  Peter.  There  were  hurried 
nods  and  whisperings  among  the  leaders,  and  a  concerted 
move  among  them  toward  the  door.  The  people  followed — 
so  did  the  preacher,  proclaiming  insistently  the  word  of  the 
Lord.  It  was  an  irregular  panic,  and  looked  like  a  flight 
from  fire  or  an  invasion  of  Indians.  Away  went  the  people 
down  the  main  road  with  the  preacher  a  close  second,  still 
making  himself  heard  and  understood.  He  told  them  about 
Philip  in  Samaria.  At  another  sign  from  the  leaders  the 
people  took  to  the  woods  in  squads  and  singly.  The  peerless 
defender  of  the  faith  poured  the  truth  into  the  squads  as  he 
came  upon  them.  An  elderly  man,  out  of  breath,  heard  the 
whole  story  of  the  eunuch's  conversion ;  a  woman  with  a 
babe  in  arms  heard  for  the  first  time  about  the  salvation  of 
Lydia.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  saplings  and  pawpaw  bushes, 
the  whole  history  of  conversions  would  have  been  declared. 

John  Byram  McCorkle, 

Lawrenceville,  III,  1819.  1882,  Eureka,  111. 

His  father,  Richard  B.  McCorkle,  with  his  family,  moved 
to  Tazewell  County  about  1830  and  settled  a  few  miles 
north  of  Washington.  There  he  built  a  strong  log  residence 
that  furnished  a  home  and  a  safe  place  for  women  and  chil- 
dren during  the  raids  of  Indians  upon  the  early  settlers.  His 
eldest  daughter  married  John  Johnson,  and  became  the 
mother  of  three  noted  preachers — B.  W.,  R.  H.  and  J.  B. 
Johnson. 

During  his  early  manhood,  J.  B.  McCorkle  marketed 
farm  products  at  Ft.  Dearborn,  now  Chicago.  He  seized 
every  opportunity  for  his  mental  discipline  and  the  acquire- 


562  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

ment  of  knowledge,  including  night  schools.  In  his  Chris- 
tian service  he  was  was  much  helped  and  encouraged  by 
Sanford  Gorin,  an  older  elder  of  the  Washington  congrega- 
tion. He  moved  to  Eureka  in  1869.  He  served  the  college 
as  financial  agent,  preaching  as  he  went  among  the  churches. 
He  evangelized  under  the  auspices  of  the  missionary  co-op- 
eration consisting  of  Woodford,  Tazewell  and  McLean 
Counties.  During  his  public  ministry,  which  he  continued  as 
long  as  his  bodily  health  permitted,  he  baptized  over  one 
thousand  persons.  Most  of  this  work  was  done  at  his  own 
charges,  supporting  his  family  meanwhile  by  other  means. 
His  hospitality  was  so  generous  that  his  home  in  Washington 
was  nicknamed  'The  Campbellite  Hotel."  In  this,  many  of 
the  pioneers  were  entertained.  Often  in  his  evangelistic 
meetings  he  sang  a  solo  just  before  his  sermon.  His  faith 
in  the  word  of  God  was  abiding.  Daily  in  his  home  his 
family  assembled  for  worship. 

W.  H.  McGinnis. 

Missouri,  1838.  1904,  Illinois. 

Entered  the  Christian  ministry  through  the  action  of  the 
church  at  Louisiana,  Mo.,  in  1860.  The  same  year  he  came 
into  Illinois,  where  he  continued  his  work  to  the  close  of  his 
life.  He  wrote  a  few  years  before  his  decease:  "As  you 
probably  know,  my  preacher-life  has  been  a  very  humble 
and  uneventful  one.  My  first  regular  work  was  in  the 
counties  of  Brown  and  Schuyler  in  1862.  At  that  time  I 
was  almost  the  only  Christian  preacher,  outside  of  Quincy, 
in  all  that  region  between  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Rivers. 
The  Civil  War  was  then  on.  Hundreds  of  soldiers  were 
being  brought  back — sick,  wounded,  dying  and  dead.  Many 
nights  I  rode  on  horseback,  through  mud  and  darkness,  to 
be  at  the  places  where  soldiers  were  to  be  buried,  and  give 
consolation  through  the  preaching  of  the  gospel.  In  the  first 
five  years  of  my  ministry,  although  I  baptized  many  hun- 
dreds of  people,  I  did  not  receive  enough  money  to  buy  my 
clothes.    The  first  State  convention  I  attended  was  in  Bloom- 


BIOGRAPHIES  563 

ington  in  September,  1863.  On  the  first  morning  of  the 
convention  the  ground  was  covered  with  a  heavy  frost — a 
splendid  corn  crop  was  in  ruins.  A  sadder- faced  audience 
I  never  looked  into.  Robert  Foster  said:  'Let  us  brace  up. 
I  move  that  the  janitor  make  a  fire,  and  that  Bro.  Fillmore 
lead  us  in  one  of  his  best  songs.'  Both  of  these  things  were 
done,  and  through  our  prayers  the  Lord's  work  moved  on 
gloriously." 

While  Mr.  McGinnis  was  a  faithful  preacher  of  the 
Word,  he  was  pre-eminently  a  man  of  peace.  Through  the 
gentleness  of  his  spirit  and  the  sweetness  of  his  disposition, 
the  influences  of  his  consecrated  Hfe  were  as  wholesome  and 
abiding  as  the  sunshine. 

John  Henry  McGuffin. 

Scott  County,  Ky.,  1844.  ^  1891,  Tlliopolis,  111. 

Came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois  in  1857.  Educated  in 
the  public  schools  and  the  Alechanicsburg  Academy.  Enlisted 
hi  the  Tenth  Illinois  Cavalry  in  July,  1862,  and  at  the  end  of 
three  years  was  mustered  out  as  corporal  of  Company  G. 
He  was  engaged  in  secular  business  till  1886,  when  he 
entered  the  ministry.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  character  and 
did  efficient  service  in  the  few  years  of  his  ministry. 

George  G.  McManus. 

Jefferson  County,  Ky.,  1804.  1888,  Odessa,  Tex. 

Began  preaching  in  Ohio  in  1824.  In  1843  came  to 
Princeton,  111.  Did  much  pioneer  work  in  Bureau  County 
with  a  most  unselfish  and  devoted  spirit.  He  served  as 
county  judge  for  several  years.  Moved  to  Kansas  in  1873, 
where  he  lost  his  wife  by  a  fire.  Mr.  McManus  was  one  of 
the  Lord's  great  men. 

Jo  Major. 

Walnut  Grove,  III,  1834.  1913,  Eureka,  111. 

A  son  of  Ben  Major.  For  many  ^^ears  a  trustee  and 
liberal  financial  supporter  of  Eureka  College.     He  was  cap- 


564  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

tain  of  Company  A,  Eighty-sixth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 
A  braver  man  never  followed  a  flag  in  all  the  fortunes  of 
war.  His  patriotism  was  wholly  unselfish  and  his  Christian 
life  modest. 

William  Trahiie  Major, 

Frankfort,  Ky.,  1790.  1867,  Bloomington,  111. 

For  many  years  this  name  was  as  familiar  to  the  people 
of  Bloomington  as  the  name  of  the  city  itself.  He  was  edu- 
cated at  Georgetown,  Ky.,  and  came  to  Bloomington  in  1835. 
His  removal  to  Illinois  grew  out  of  his  aversion  to  negro 
slavery.  He  was  a  descendant  of  the  Huguenots  and  was  a 
man  of  earnest  religious  convictions. 

For  six  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church, 
but  in  1830  he  was  excluded  from  the  fellowship  of  that 
body  because  he  held  and  advocated  religious  views  which 
he  believed  to  be  more  in  harmony  with  the  Bible  than  those 
preached  by  the  Baptists  at  that  time.  It  was  in  this  way 
that  he  came  thus  early  into  the  movement  looking  to  the 
reproduction  of  the  New  Testament  church.  He  was  the 
leading  spirit  in  the  organization  of  the  Christian  Church  in 
Bloomington.  He  built,  almost  single-handed,  its  first  house 
of  worship.  Through  the  active  years  of  his  life  he  gave 
the  congregation  his  thought,  prayers,  time,  energy  and 
means.  When  no  minister  was  present,  he  preached,  and 
frequently  baptized  candidates.  He  presided  well  at  the 
Lord's  table  and  exhorted  his  brethren  to  fidelity  and  good 
works.  While  the  orthodoxy  of  the  Disciples  was  for  years 
a  perennial  question  with  his  religious  neighbors,  Mr.  Major 
knew  whom  and  what  and  why  he  believed,  and  was  as 
immovable  as  a  mountain. 

The  growth  of  the  city  and  his  foresighted  investments 
brought  to  him  considerable  property.  He  was  a  public- 
spirited  citizen.  The  first  public  hall  for  general  uses  was 
erected  by  him  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Front  and  East 
Streets,  in  1852.  In  this  the  first  Republican  State  conven- 
tion was  held  in  May,  1856.     In  this  year  he  also  founded 


'* 


WILLIAM  T.   MAJOR. 


BUSHROD  W.  HENRY. 


JOHN  C.  ASHLEY. 


S.  S.  LAPPIN. 


BIOGRAPHIES  565 

Major  Seminary,  which,  next  to   his  church,  he  loved  and 
prized.  ^^^    William  A.  Mallory. 

Kentucky,   1822.  1884,  IlHnois. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Mallory  came  from  Kentucky  to 
Illinois  in  1827,  and  settled  in  what  is  now  Clear  Lake 
Township,  Sangamon  County.  His  mother's  brother,  John 
Dawson,  came  with  them.  Mr.  Mallory  became  a  Christian 
at  Clear  Lake  in  1844,  under  the  preaching  of  A.  J.  Kane. 
He  began  teaching  school  in  1841.  At  the  same  time  he 
began  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  John  Todd,  of  Spring- 
field. Later,  he  pursued  his  medical  studies  at  Laporte, 
Ind.,  and  then  practiced  his  profession,  for  a  time,  at  Beloit, 
Wis.  In  1847  he  was  in  the  Louisville  (Ky.)  Medical  Col- 
lege, and  in  1848  located  at  Fort  Madison,  la.  Near  that 
city  he  was  married  to  Miss  Susan  A.  Johnston  in  1848. 
They  returned  to  Springfield  the  next  year. 

In  August,  1852,  he  began  the  publication  of  the  Chris- 
tian Sentinel.  From  this  date,  his  thought  and  energy  were 
mainly  given  to  the  work  of  the  ministry.  In  March,  1856, 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  State  Missionary  Society,  in 
which  he  continued  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War. 

He  was  commissioned  by  Governor  Yates,  in  January, 
1862,  as  a  recruiting  officer.  This  work  resulted  in  the 
enlistment  and  organization  of  the  114th  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  in  which  Dr.  Mallory  became  captain  of  Company 
C.  After  one  year's  service  at  the  front,  he  resigned  by 
reason  of  ill  health. 

Thereafter,  his  time  and  energies  were  given  chiefly  to 
the  work  of  the  gospel.  His  ministry  was  confined  to  central 
Illinois.  He  resided  at  Howlet,  now  called  Riverton.  One 
of  the  sermons  that  he  preached  with  great  power  was  based 
on  these  words:  'Tor  the  time  is  come  that  judgment  must 
begin  at  the  house  of  God ;  and  if  it  first  begin  at  us,  what 
shall  the  end  be  of  them  that  obey  not  the  gospel  of  God? 
And  if  the  righteous  scarcely  be  saved,  where  shall  the 
ungodly  and  the  sinner  appear?"     It  was  a  sermon  not  soon 


566  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

forgotten.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  courage  and  cultured  con- 
science, of  kindly  heart  and  generous  helpfulness.  His  active 
and   useful   life   was   cut   short   by   typhoid    fever   and   blood 

poisoning.  ^  „,  ^         ,,   ^ 

^  °  George  Iv  atson  Mapes. 

Near  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  1828.  1898,  Des  Moines,  la. 

The  earlier  years  of  his  life  were  passed  in  Ohio  and 
Indiana.  In  1852  he  united  with  the  Baptist  Church.  In 
1853  he  brought  his  family  to  Bureau  County,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  united  with  the  church  of  Christ  in  Ohio  Town- 
ship. He  bought  and  cultivated  a  new  farm,  but  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry  in  1856.  From  1868  his  time  was 
wholly  given  to  the  ministry.  He  planted  a  congregation  in 
his  home  neighborhood  and  others  elsewhere  in  that  county, 
was  a  successful  evangelist,  and  served  as  pastor  at  Putnam 
and  Princeton,  leading  at  the  latter  place  in  building  the 
chapel  that  is  still  used.  At  Washington  and  Macomb,  two 
terms,  where  a  chapel  was  also  built  during  the  time,  he  also 
was  pastor.  Then  his  ministry  was  given  to  Missouri  and 
Iowa.  Mr.  Mapes  was  a  good  business  man,  but  in  his  life 
the  material  was  always  subordinated  to  the  spiritual.  Fie 
was  gentle  and  earnest,  kindly  and  strong.  Failing  health 
did  not  abate  his  zeal.  'T  must  die  with  the  harness  on," 
he  said,  and  so  exchanged  his  cross  for  his  crown. 

Geo.  W.  Martin. 

An  elder  of  the  Winchester  Church.  Captain  Company 
H,  129th  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  Served  one  term  as 
sheriff  of  Scott  County  and  three  terms  as  circuit  clerk. 
Died  in  1910,  in  Harvard,  Neb. 

Rolla  M.  Martin. 

Monongalia  County,  Va.,  1816.  1878,  Danville,  111. 

Came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois  in  1820,  who  settled 
near  Georgetown,  Vermilion  County.  There  were  many 
Indians  then  in  Illinois.  Mr.  Martin  grew  to  manhood  on 
his  father's  farm.     He  attended  a  few  subscription  schools 


BIOGRAPHIES  567 

for  a  little  time,  but  most  of  his  mental  training  was  acquired 
by  his  personal  efforts.  His  mother  was  solicitous  and  ambi- 
tious for  her  son,  and  so  got  for  him  all  the  books  she  could. 
The  Bible  was  the  chief  one  in  the  collection.  The  books 
young  Martin  studied  with  earnestness  and  persistence — oft- 
times  by  the  light  made  by  the  burning  of  hickory-tree  bark 
or  a  grease-lamp.  Such  was  his  progress  and  growth,  that  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  he  became  a  teacher.  His  early  man- 
hood was  spent  chiefly  in  the  schoolroom.  At  twenty-five, 
he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  and  continued  therein  until 
his  death. 

Mr.  Martin  was  a  large  man  in  every  way.  His  weight 
was  250  pounds,  well  built,  of  superior  mental  powers,  of 
fine  personality  and  noble  bearing.  He  was  a  prince  among 
men.  He  was  a  forceful  speaker,  with  fine  reasoning 
ability.  His  life  falling  in  the  formative  period  of  the  Res- 
toration movement,  he  was  frequently  led  into  public  dis- 
cussions. In  these,  he  wielded  the  sharp  sword  of  the  Spirit 
with  unusual  power.  Religious  errors  fell  before  his  Biblical 
logic  like  grain  before  the  sickle.  On  one  occasion,  Mr. 
Martin,  with  H.  H.  Gunn  and  George  Y.  Stipp — the  father 
of  T.  L.  Stipp — held  a  public  debate  with  three  Universal- 
ists.  It  was  an  interesting  time.  Riding  homeward  with  one 
of  his  opponents,  he  said:  ''Bro.  Martin,  see,  here  is  water; 
what  doth  hinder  me  to  be  baptized?"  Mr.  Martin 
responded:  'Tf  thou  believest  with  all  thine  heart,  thou 
mayest."  The  man  replied :  'T  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  Son  of  God."  Then  and  there  the  man  was  baptized. 
About  1856,  Mr.  Martin  held  a  public  discussion  at  Myers- 
ville  with  an  M.  E.  preacher  named  Garner.  He  insisted 
that  Philip  and  the  man  of  Ethiopia  did  not  go  down  into 
the  water,  but  only  near  to  it  or  only  to  it,  and  Philip 
sprinkled  water  upon  the  man.  Mr.  Martin  replied  by  quot- 
ing, in  a  like  way.  Matt.  8:32:  "The  whole  herd  of  swine 
ran  violently  down  a  steep  place  to  or  near  the  sea  and  per- 
ished on  dry  land."  During  this  debate,  Mr.  ^lartin  was 
accosted  on  the  street  by  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church, 


568  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

named  Smith,  who  inquired :  "Suppose  a  man  makes  the  good 
confession,  as  you  require,  and  on  the  road  to  the  water  to 
be  baptized  a  limb  from  a  tree  falls  on  him  and  kills  him, 
what  would  you  do  with  him?''  Mr.  Martin  promptly 
replied:  "I  would  bury  him." 

Mr.  Martin  was  a  soul-winner  as  well  as  a  defender  of 
the  truth.  During  his  ministry  he  baptized  more  than  three 
thousand  people  and  formed  a  goodly  number  of  churches. 
For  many  years  he  was  the  only  Christian  minister  residing 
in  Vermilion  County.  His  trials  for  Christ's  sake  were 
many.  He  often  rode  long  distances  to  his  appointments, 
through  all  kinds  of  weather  and  roads  and  across  swollen 
streams  that  endangered  his  life.  Twice  he  was  elected 
treasurer  of  Vermilion  County,  but  declined  further  civil 
service  because  it  hampered  his  work  as  a  preacher.  He 
still  lives  in  the  lives  of  multitudes. 

/.  D.  Metcalf. 

Hopkinsville,  Ky.,  1834.  1887,  Girard,  111.  ^ 

Was  brought,  when  a  year  old,  by  his  parents  to  Illinois. 
They  settled  in  Greenfield.  Mr.  Metcalf  moved  to  Girard 
in  1856,  and  there  resided  to  the  close  of  his  great  and  good 
life.  He  was  a  successful  general  merchant,  lumber  dealer 
and  banker.  He  became  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  that 
community,  and  was  held  in  high  esteem  both  for  his  per- 
sonal worth  and  his  public  spirit.  He  served  the  church 
most  efficiently  as  an  elder  for  twenty-one  years,  when  his 
life  closed.  His  Christian  outlook  was  world-wide,  and  in 
his  last  will  he  remembered  State,  Home  and  Foreign  Mis- 
sions in  $1,000,  severally.  His  head  was  clear  and  his  heart 
tender,  and  his  influence  for  Christ  will  be  felt  till  time  falls 
asleep  on  the  bosom  of  God. 

David  D.  Miller. 

Zanesville,  O.,  1815.  1895,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Miller  was  of  German-Scotch  blood.  His  grand- 
father, John  Miller,  held  the  rank  of  major  in  the  Revolu- 


BIOGRAPHIES  569 

tionary  Army.  In  1798  he  colonized  Millersburg,  Ky.  His 
father,  Adam  Miller,  was  a  high  Calvinist  and  an  old-school 
Baptist  who  farmed  and  preached.  The  boy,  David,  could 
not  believe  that  God  was  a  respecter  of  persons ;  so  he  ran 
away  from  home  to  attend  a  Methodist  camp-meeting.  This 
did  not  help  him.  His  father  moved  his  family  to  a  four- 
hundred-acre  farm  in  Cass  County,  Mich.,  in  1854.  There 
he  worked  on  his  farm,  went  to  school,  learned  the  trade  of 
carpenter  and  read  the  Bible  earnestly. 

In  1859  he  returned  to  Ohio.  Here  he  became  a  Chris- 
tian in  1841  at  the  Brushy  Creek  Church,  which  was  twenty 
miles  from  his  home.  Through  the  influence  of  Elder  Baker, 
who  was  the  ablest  attorney  in  Licking  County  and  a  great 
bishop  of  the  congregation,  Mr.  Miller  entered  the  ministry. 
His  first  work  was  that  of  a  missionary,  or  evangelist,  in 
four  counties  of  central  Ohio,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Elizabethtown  Church.  His  salary  was  to  be  $200  a  year, 
which  he  was  to  collect  himself.  Mr.  Miller  says:  "Then  I 
thought  of  the  dying  Irishman,  who  willed  $200  each  to  his 
several  sons.  When  the  boys  inquired  where  the  money  was 
to  come  from,  the  father  replied:  'You  must  look  after  that 
yourselves.'  "  He  said  further :  "Much  of  my  best  work  was 
done  outside  of  the  pulpit.  I  would  sometimes  form  classes 
of  young  people  in  a  neighborhood  and  explain  the  Scrip- 
tures to  them."  In  his  autobiography  he  gives  this  incident 
also :  At  the  Yearly  Meeting  at  Austentown  Valley,  the  birth- 
place of  the  Restoration  movement  in  the  Western  Reserve, 
fifty  ministers  were  present  and  eight  thousand  people 
assembled.  All  the  churches  and  schoolhouses  for  ten  miles 
around  were  used  for  overflow  meetings.  William  Hayden 
preached  the  anniversary  sermon,  opening  with  these  words : 
"A  quarter  of  a  century  ag-o  to-day  we  met  on  this  ground 
as  a  Baptist  Association.  We  resolved  to  throw  away  every- 
thing but  the  gospel,  and  there  was  not  a  man  among  us 
that  knew  what  the  gospel  was ;  but  we  have  found  out  what 
it  is,  thank  God."  He  paused,  wiped  the  tears  from  his  face, 
stretched  his  hands  toward  the  vast  throng,  and  said:  "See 


570         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

here;  what  have  we  done  in  twenty-five  years?  We've  set 
hell  afire,  made  the  devil  mad  and  astonished  the  natives." 
Then,  Isaac  Everritt,  who  sat  beside  Mr.  Miller,  whispered 
in  his  ear:  "That's  Billy  Hayden;  he  says  what  he  pleases." 
In  that  meeting  Mr.  Miller  was  an  active  participant. 

He  followed  his  inclination  for  evangelistic  work,  for 
which  he  was  well  fitted.  Ohio,  Michigan,  Indiana,  Ken- 
tucky, Illinois,  Iowa,  Missouri  and  Kansas  are  all  indebted 
to  his  self-sacrificing  toil.  During  the  forty-one  years  of  his 
ministry  he  baptized  about  four  thousand  people,  engaged 
in  eight  public  discussions  and  did  an  immense  amount  of 
hard  gospel  work.  He  was  a  man  cast  in  an  iron  mould,  but 
with  a  tender  heart  and  cheerful  disposition.  For  his  faith 
in  God  he  would  have  as  willingly  have  gone  to  the  stake 
as  he  did  to  breakfast.  His  temperament  was  poetic,  and 
patience  the  woof  of  his  soul.  In  politics,  he  was  an  Aboli- 
tionist— by  heredity  and  environment.  He  lived  and  died  in 
the  fear  of  the  Lord  and  the  love  of  man. 

James  J.   IV.  Miller. 

Illinois,  about  1831.  1907,  Illinois. 

Began  to  preach  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  Educa- 
tional opportunities  were  limited,  but  he  grew  into  the  use 
of  pure  and  forceful  language.  His  field  of  labor  was  lim- 
ited to  Pike,  Calhoun,  Green  and  Macoupin  Counties,  but  he 
did  considerable  work  in  Missouri.  In  his  revivals  he  laid 
the  beginning  of  many  churches.  He  was  a  man  of  high 
ideals,  candid  and  devoted  to  truth  and  duty.  His  indus- 
trious habits  were  well  known.  When  not  preaching,  he  was 
engaged  in  manual  labor.  For  fifty-five  years  he  proclaimed 
the  glad  tidings  to  his  fellow-men. 

George  W.  M inter. 

Ulster,  Pa.,  1813.  1902,  Chicago,  111. 

Air.  Minier  was  of  German  and  English  parentage.  Both 
of  his  grandfathers  were  soldiers  in  the  Colonial  Army.  He 
was  educated  at  the  Athens  University,   Pennsylvania.     At 


ri 


GEORGE  W.  MINIER. 


^jV. 


JAMES  ROBESON. 


^i^^ 


JOSEPH  B.  McCORKLE. 


JOHN  W.  SCONCE. 


BIOGRAPHIES  571 

the  age  of  nineteen  he  became  a  schoolmaster  in  New  York 
State.  In  those  early  years  he  also  developed  his  ability  to 
speak  in  public. 

He  came  to  Illinois  in  1837  and  settled  in  Bureau  County, 
where  he  resided  for  ten  years.  While  there,  he  surveyed 
the  State  road  from  Peru  to  Knoxville  and  taught  schools. 
One  of  these  was  at  Leepertown. 

Jan.  1,  1839,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Ireland.  To 
this  union  six  sons  and  six  daughters  were  born.  In  1839 
he  surveyed  a  part  of  the  Illinois  River  bottom  about 
Starved  Rock. 

In  the  spring  of  1841  he  was  immersed  by  Dr.  P.  G. 
Young  in  or  near  Magnolia,  111. 

In  1847  he  came  to  Bloomington  and  opened  a  high 
school  for  young  people.  The  next  year  he  conducted  the 
same  kind  of  school  at  Mackinaw. 

In  1851  he  moved  to  his  farm  in  Tazewell  County,  near 
the  Little  Mackinaw  Church.  He  got  his  land  from  the 
Government  with  soldiers'  warrants.  The  land  cost  him 
eighty-three  cents  per  acre.  Soon  after  he  became  a  Chris- 
tian he  was  induced  to  enter  the  ministry.  He  was  with 
Alexander  Campbell  on  a  part  of  his  tour  through  Illinois 
in  1853.  In  the  earlier  years  of  his  ministry,  he  preached 
now  and  then  at  Bloomington,  Elkhart,  Fremont,  ]\fackinaw 
town.  Little  Mackinaw,  Hittle's  Grove,  Washington,  Waynes- 
ville,  Le  Roy,  Springfield,  Peoria,  Pekin  and  elsewhere.  Dur- 
ing those  years  he  was  associated  with  H.  D.  Palmer,  Wm. 
T.  Major,  William  Davenport,  Andrew  Ross,  W^illiam  Ryan, 
O.  A.  Burgess  and  other  distinguished  men.  In  1867,  in 
company  with  Messrs.  Blackstone,  Boyer  and  Stroud,  he 
platted  the  town  that  bears  his  name.  It  is  located  three  and 
a  half  miles  south  of  his  old  home. 

In  all-round  culture  and  Christian  character,  there  were 
few,  if  any,  superior  to  Mr.  Minier  in  the  period  of  his 
prime.  He  was  rated  high  in  educational  lines.  Frequently 
he  was  called  upon  for  lectures.  In  schools,  sometimes  his 
subject  was  trees;  then  again  it  was  birds.     He  was  presi- 


572         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

dent  of  the  North  American  Forestry  Association,  also  of 
the  State  Horticultural  Society.  He  was  also  a  member  of 
the  National  Peace  Society  and  an  earnest  advocate  of  its 
principles ;  also  of  all  temperance  work. 

In  his  young  manhood  he  was  very  handsome.  His  ele- 
gant appearance  and  refined  manners  attracted  all  classes. 
He  was  welcomed  by  the  young  as  well  as  the  old.  Little 
children  would  run  out  to  meet  him  where  he  was  being 
entertained.  With  his  brethren  in  the  ministry  he  was 
always  cordial  and  entirely  free  from  any  feeling  of  jealousy. 
Fie  never  preached  a  long  sermon,  and  his  services  were  in 
wide  demand  for  weddings  and  funerals  and  other  public 
or  semi-public  occasions.  He  never  used  tobacco  in  any 
way,  in  which  he  was  in  striking  contrast  with  some  of  his 
contemporaries.  He  could  easily  quote  from  Milton,  Young 
and,  especially,  from  Shakespeare.  "He  saw  sermons  in 
stones,  books  in  brooks  and  good  in  everything."  In  the 
pulpit  he  was  a  teacher.  His  speaking  was  on  a  dignified 
level.  He  depended  upon  the  truth  of  God,  presented  dis- 
tinctly and  carefully.     He  never  got  lower  than  a  high  level. 

There  was  in  him  a  fine  sense  of  humor.  While  he  did 
not  encourage  unseemly  demonstrations,  he  enjoyed  a  ripple 
of  appreciation  that  fit  the  occasion.  At  one  time,  a  good, 
sedate  sister  called  him  to  account  for  creating  what  she 
called  ''unholy  levity"  in  the  congregation.  In  all  kindness, 
he  responded: 

"My  dear  sister,  you  would  forgive  me  if  you  knew  how 
much  I  keep  back." 

He  had  his  troubles,  as  other  men  have,  but  he  never 
intruded  them  on  his  friends.  He  never  went  around  look- 
ing ''blue."  At  one  time  one  of  his  friends  said  to  him: 
"Bro.  Minier,  how  do  you  seem  so  cheerful  when  you  have 
been  walking  through  deep  waters?"  He  replied:  "My  dear 
brother,  trouble  is  the  last  thing  in  the  world  to  nurse.  I 
must  save  my  strength  to  do  my  work.  I  will  not  waste 
time  on  what  can  not  be  remedied.  Any  trouble  that  comes 
to  me  I  will  not  lay  upon  the  hearts  of  others." 


BIOGRAPHIES  573 

One  of  his  moral  axioms  was  this:  "When  we  have  done 
what  we  can  to  make  tlie  world  wiser,  better  and  more  beau- 
tiful, we  should  be  satisfied." 

"Only  the  actions  of  the  just  smell  sweet  and  blossom  in 
the  dust." 

Mordecai  Mob  ley. 

Was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Sangamon  County,  where, 
in  1824,  he  was  married.  In  his  youth  he  was  "wild,"  but 
in  the  wave  of  religious  interest  that  passed  over  that  county 
by  the  preaching  of  Dr.  Robert  Foster,  Mr.  Mobley  became 
a  Christian.  He  continued  in  the  Lord's  service  with  great 
energy.  He  served  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  was  con- 
nected with  the  land  office  at  Springfield.  Meanwhile,  he 
was  active  in  the  church  there.  He  moved  to  Dubuque,  la., 
in  1850,  and  at  once  set  about  to  establish  a  church  there. 
He  was  not  a  preacher,  but  he  taught  the  people  who  met 
for  public  worship  on  the  Lord's  Day  and  led  them  in  all 
good  works.  President  Lincoln  made  him  postmaster  at 
Dubuque.  He  was  a  man  who  sought  first  the  kingdom  of 
God.     At  eighty-five  years  he  died  in  Washington,  D.  C. 

F.  L.  Moore. 

Illinois,   1857. 

Mr.  Moore  was  born  three  miles  west  of  Clinton,  among 
the  blackjack  and  sassafras  trees.  He  is  still  considered  to 
be  a  young  man.  When  he  was  twenty-eight  years  of  age, 
his  education  had  neither  limit  nor  boundary  line.  Then  he 
left  the  jeweler's  bench  and  spent  four  months  in  Eureka 
College.  That  he  might  continue  his  work  there,  he  asked 
a  loan  of  a  small  sum  from  a  rich  man,  who  refused  and 
severely  criticized  him  for  having  left  a  good  business  and 
wasting  his  time  in  college.  The  most  of  his  ministerial 
work  has  been  done  in  Missouri  and  Kansas,  as  pastor, 
evangelist  and  Bible-school  evangelist.  His  ability  as  an 
artist  and  an  engraver  has  greatly  helped  in  his  blackboard 
and  chart  work.  In  late  years  he  has  served  the  Abingdon 
Church  with  efficiency.    Mr.  Moore  has  never  found  time  to 


574  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

waste  with  the  higher  critic  and  has  never  overtaxed  his 
mind  in  trying  to  find  out  whether  Moses  wrote  the  Penta- 
teuch with  a  goose-quill  pen  or  not.  He  has  never  had  any- 
more sense  than  to  believe  that  the  gospel  is  the  power  of 
God  unto  salvation,  and  has  baptized  multitudes.  He  hopes 
to  preach  until  he  is  ninety,  and  then  move  out  on  a  little 
garden- farm. 

G.  IV.  Morrell. 

Illinois,  183L  1909,  Illinois. 

One  of  the  self-sacrificing  and  devoted  preachers  of  the 
earlier  years.  His  ministry  was  chiefly  in  Richland,  Wayne, 
Wabash,  Clay,  White  and  Lawrence  Counties.  To  him,  the 
church  in  Olney  is  much  indebted.  His  ministerial  labors 
reached  also  into  Indiana  and  Ohio. 

The  Mulkeys. 

The  Mulkey  family  came  to  America  from  Sweden  about 
1650  and  settled  on  a  part  of  the  territory  watered  by  the 
Delaware  River  and  Bay.  Their  history  is  an  interesting 
one.  They  were  men  of  earnest  Christian  convictions  and 
high  moral  purpose  and  courage.  As  far  as  known,  there 
was  only  one  exception — he  was  a  shocking  pervert. 

William  F.  Mulkey. 

A  successful  business  man  and  a  faithful  Christian.  He 
represented  his  district  in  the  House  of  the  Twenty-ninth 
General  Assembly.  He  refused  a  nomination  to  the  State 
Senate  in  1880. 

John  M.  Mulkey, 

For  whom  Mulkeytown,  in  Franklin  County,  received  its 
name,  with  his  brother  Jonathan  H.,  came  from  Tennessee 
to  Illinois  in  the  early  thirties.  He  built  the  first  house  on 
the  site  of  Mulkeytown  in  1837.  The  post-of^ce  was  called 
Little  Muddy,  because  it  had  been  previously  established  at 
the  house  of  John  Kirkpatrick,  who  lived  near  Little  Muddy 
Creek.    The  name  was  not  changed  to  Mulkeytown  till  after 


BIOGRAPHIES  575 

the  Civil  War.  Another  brother,  Dr.  C.  F.  Mulkey,  came 
from  Tennessee  to  the  same  locaUty  in  1832,  and  was 
engaged  for  a  time  with  John  M.  in  the  mercantile  business. 

Philip  Mulkey 

Came  to  this  locality  in  1835  and  spent  the  balance  of  his 
Hfe  in  preaching  the  gospel  and  teachmg  school.  His  four 
sons,  three  of  whom  are  named  above,  all  preached,  but 
were  chiefly  engaged  in  other  business. 

John  Newton  Mulkey. 

Tompkinsville,   Ky.,   1806.  1882,   Glasgow,   Ky. 

John  Mulkey,  the  father  of  John  Newton,  moved  from 
Tennessee  to  Kentucky  about  1801,  and  settled  on  Mill 
Creek,  some  two  miles  from  Tompkinsville.  In  1809,  while 
preaching  a  sermon  at  the  home  of  William  Simms,  from 
the  tenth  chapter  of  John,  and  making  a  strong  effort  to 
maintain  the  doctrine  of  Calvinism,  his  own  arguments  con- 
vinced himself  that  this  teaching  was  false.  The  Stockton 
Valley  Association,  to  which  the  Mill  Creek  Church  belonged, 
called  him  to  account.  The  upshot  of  the  matter  was  that 
John  Mulkey  left  the  Baptists  and  took  many  of  the  Mill 
Creek  Church  with  him.  These  met  together  on  the  third 
Saturday  in  November,  1809,  and,  after  prayer,  organized  a 
church  on  the  Bible  alone,  rejecting  human  creeds,  confes- 
sions of  faith  and  books  of  discipline.  This  congregation 
came  to  be  known  as  the  "Bible  Alone  Church."  Hence,  it 
is  plain  that  his  son,  John  Newton  Mulkey,  was  as  near 
religiously  free-born  as  any  one  of  his  time.  He  began  to 
preach  in  East  Tennessee  in  1831.  In  the  summer  of  1832, 
two  miles  west  of  Wolf  River,  Clay  Co.,  Tenn.,  in  the  Lib- 
erty meeting-house,  he  preached  a  sermon  on  "The  Weekly 
Meeting  of  the  Church  to  Break  Bread."  He  came  to 
Illinois  in  1857,  settling  in  Perry  County.  He  was  reckoned 
the  most  powerful  preacher  of  this  name,  and  the  equal  of 
the  best  of  his  time.  He  preached  the  Word  clearly  and 
with  unusual   sympathy   for  all  those  whom  he  addressed. 


576  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

While  supporting  his  family  from  his  farm  for  twenty  years, 
he  did  ethcient  ministerial  work  in  southern  Illinois.  The 
closing  years  of  his  Hfe  were  passed  in  Kentucky.  It  is 
estimated  that  he  preached  ten  thousand  sermons  and 
immersed  nearly  that  number  of  believers. 

Dr.  Isaac  Mulkey 

Came  to  Illinois  in  1846.  He  united  the  healing  art  and  the 
work  of  the  ministry.  His  preaching  was  continuous.  He 
resided  in  Carbondale  and  died  at  Ashley. 

Besides  these  named  above,  other  Christian  preachers  of 
this  family  went  West — some  to  Missouri,  some  to  Arkansas 
and  others  to  Oregon. 

Patrick  H.  Murphy. 

Warren  County,  Ky.,  1828.  1860,  Abingdon,  111. 

Came  to  Warren  County  in  1833.  Became  a  Christian  at 
the  old  Coldbrook  Church  at  the  close  of  1840,  and  was  for- 
mally ordained  to  the  ministry  in  1850.  Was  educated  at 
Galesburg  and  Bethany  College.  Mr.  Murphy  and  J.  C. 
Reynolds  opened  an  academy  at  Abingdon  in  1853.  By  its 
efficiency  the  school  quickly  grew  into  popularity.  This  led 
to  the  beginning  of  Abingdon  College  in  1854.  Mr.  Murphy 
became  its  first  president  and  filled  the  position  most  suc- 
cessfully till  his  early  death.  Meanwhile,  he  served  the 
Abingdon  Church  as  its  pastor.  He  was  a  fine  scholar,  a 
good  executive  and  a  high  type  of  Christian  gentleman.  His 
demise  was  an  irreparable  loss  to  the  cause  of  Christian 
education  in  western  Illinois. 

Clement  Nance,  Sr. 

Pittsylvania  County,  Va.,  1756.     1828,  Floyd  County,  Ind. 

This  man  was  never  in  Illinois,  and  he  died  two  years 
before  the  dissolution  of  the  Mahoning  Association,  by  which 
action  Alexander  Campbell  was  formally  separated  from 
the  Baptists.  The  appearance  of  this  notice  of  Mr.  Nance 
here  would  seem  to  be  an  anachronism.     What,  then,  is  its 


BIOGRAPHIES  577 

apology?  Probably  not  more  than  once  in  a  century  have  a 
man's  posterity  been  so  impressed  by  the  blood  and  faith  of 
a  great  progenitor.  Mr.  Nance  became  a  Christian  in  the 
Methodist  Church  in  1773.  In  1790  he  received  license  to 
celebrate  the  rites  of  marriage  as  a  Baptist,  giving  bond  for 
the  same  with  a  security  in  the  sum  of  $2,500.  He  was 
married  to  Mary  Jones  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
twelve  children.  Their  descendants,  with  their  families,  now 
number  about  thirty-five  hundred,  and  are  scattered  through- 
out the  middle  and  far  West.  Mr.  Nance  came  from  Vir- 
ginia into  Kentucky  in  1803,  where  he  stayed  about  eighteen 
months.  It  is  highly  probable  that  during  this  time  he  met 
Barton  W.  Stone,  for  thereafter  to  the  close  of  his  life  he 
v/as  a  steadfast  advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Restoration 
movement. 

Some  of  his  descendants  were  the  Burtons  of  Woodford 
County,  of  whom  Mrs.  B.  B.  Tyler  is  one ;  the  Richardsons 
of  Adams  and  Woodford  Counties,  of  whom  are  A.  A.  and 
Min.  Frank  Richardson ;  John  Oatman,  the  founder  of  the 
church  at  Eureka,  married  a  daughter;  the  Mitchell,  Long, 
Harber  and  Nance  families  all  carry  the  blood  of  Clement 
Nance,  Sr.,  as  do  many  others  in  a  less  ratio.  "Uncle  Jimmy 
Robeson"  was  his  son  in  the  gospel.  Most  of  his  posterity 
have  been  Disciples  of  Christ.  In  a  larger  or  smaller  degree 
the  churches  at  Eureka,  Mount  Zion  (near  by),  Secor, 
Bloomington,  Lexington,  Sterling,  Blandinsville  and  Quincy 
have  received  his  marvelous  impress.  He  laid  his  wand  of 
empire  on  generations  and  sends  his  message  of  high  pur- 
pose down  the  ages. 

Dr,  W.  P.  Naramore. 

New  York,  1824.  1910,  Illinois. 

His  parents  died  when  he  was  young.  He  grew  to  man- 
hood on  a  farm  near  Chardon,  O.,  in  a  family  named  King. 
They  were  most  earnest  Disciples  and  gave  this  youn?  man 
an  excellent  Christian  training.     He  graduated  at  Williams 

Medical  College  in  Ohio  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.     Coming 
Id 


578         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

to  Stephenson  County,  111.,  in  1846,  he  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  medicine.  Finding  in  his  new  home  no  church 
built  after  the  apostolic  pattern,  he  proceeded  to  establish 
one.  About  two  miles  west  of  the  village  of  Oneca,  his  then 
place  of  residence,  was  the  Van  Meter  settlement.  There  he 
established  the  Mt.  Pleasant  Church  of  Christ  and  ministered 
to  it  many  years.  Of  that  congregation,  Judge  Andrew 
Hinds  was  an  active  member.  Later,  Dr.  Naramore  preached 
in  the  Baptist  chapel  in  Lena  and  elsewhere  in  the  county. 
Meanwhile,  he  continued  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
assiduously.  While  he  never  sought  any  public  office,  he 
was  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature  in  1859-60,  and  also 
a  member  of  the  State  Constitutional  Convention  in  1862. 
He  introduced  Judge  J.  AI.  Baily  and  R.  R.  Hitt  into  public 
life.  He  greatly  desired  to  enter  the  Federal  Army  during 
the  Civil  War,  but  the  men  enlisting  in  a  large  section  of 
Stephenson  County  positively  insisted  that  he  stay  at  home 
and  care  for  their  families  while  they  were  away.  This  he 
did  free  of  charge  to  all  of  them.  For  twenty-five  years  he 
was  president  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Association  of  that  county. 
He  was  always  firm  in  his  Christian  faith.  His  intelli- 
gent conscience  permitted  no  concessions  to  error  or  com- 
promise of  gospel  truth.  His  sincerity,  wide  information, 
admirable  spirit  and  steadfast  devotion  to  high  ideals  made 
him  a  superior  Christian  man.  His  fine  character  com- 
manded the  fullest  confidence  and  highest  esteem  of  all  his 

fellow-citizens.  rrrvT-        t-    at  i 

William  E.  Nelson. 

Sparta,  Tenn.,  1824. 

Mr.  Nelson's  mother  was  a  devout  Presbyterian  and  his 
father  a  member  of  the  same  church.  When  William  was 
about  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  attended  a  union  revival,  in 
which  Methodists,  Baptists  and  Presbyterians  participated. 
Duringf  this  meetinsf  those  who  "got  through"  lau.gfhed 
immoderately.  But  William  failed  of  "the  blessing."  Then 
he  betook  himself  to  his  father's  office,  who  was  an  attorney, 
to  pray.     It  was  not  long  till  he,  too,  was  laughing;  where- 


BIOGRAPHIES  579 

upon,  the  minister  assured  him  that  he  was  accepted  by  the 
Lord.  He  then  united  with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  he 
became  quite  "a,  respectable  member."  However,  he  was 
disquieted  about  his  baptism.  Shortly,  a  "Campbellite" 
preacher  named  Hooker  passed  that  way.  But  the  sheriff 
locked  the  courthouse  against  him.  Then  the  preacher  took 
to  the  woods.  William  was  inclined  to  hear  him,  although 
he  thought  this  minister  had  no  more  religion  than  a  horse. 
That  sermon  on  "Rightly  Dividing  the  Word"  set  him  to 
thinking  and  to  reading  the  Bible.  Seven  years  later,  another 
preacher  of  the  same  fellowship  passed  that  way.  Nine 
miles  north  of  Sparta,  he  preached  in  a  schoolhouse  to  just 
four  people — a  man  and  his  wife  who  were  simply  Chris- 
tians, the  negro  janitor  and  young  Nelson,  who  had  gone  out 
on  horseback  to  hear  the  sermon.  There  he  halted  the 
formal  closing  of  the  meeting  to  make  the  good  confession. 
Shortly  thereafter,  he  was  immersed  in  a  creek.  His  mother 
cordially  encouraged  her  son  in  his  chosen  course. 

Mr.  Nelson  came  to  Decatur  in  1857.  During  all  the 
years  of  his  virility  he  was  an  active  and  helpful  member 
of  the  church.  His  custom  was  to  read  one  or  more  books 
of  the  Bible  through  at  a  sitting  and  every  week;  thus  his 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  came  to  be  comprehensive  and 
profound.  He  was  elected  a  circuit  judge  in  1876  under  the 
new  law,  but  failed  of  a  re-election  in  a  district  that  was 
overwhelmingly  against  him  politically.  In  1886  he  was 
chosen  county  judge,  in  which  position  he  served  eight  years. 

Mr.  Nelson  is  probably  the  most  widely  known  and  best 
loved  man  in  Macon  County.  In  1912  the  city  of  Decatur 
named  one  of  its  public  parks  for  him.  The  experiences  of 
eighty-nine  years  have  not  frozen  the  cheerful  humor  and 
keen  wit  out  of  him.  At  his  eighty-eighth  birthday  he  wrote 
the  following: 

Verbal  Inspiration  of  the  Bible. 

Numerous  articles  have  been  written  to  prove  the  verbal  inspira- 
tion of  the  Bible,  all  of  which  make  numerous  quotations  from  the 
Book  itself  to  prove  the  proposition.    For  instance:  "The  word  of  the 


580         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

Lord  came  to  Ezekiel,  saying."  The  fault  of  this  method  is  apparent 
in  that  it  makes  the  Book  itself  the  witness;  but  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  a  good  many  persons  do  not  accept  the  Book  as  from  God. 

In  the  matter  of  a  divine  revelation  two  factors  must  be  con- 
sidered: First,  God,  who  knew  the  truth  concerning  facts  unknown  to 
man,  was  sovereign,  and  had  power  to  make  promises  and  keep  them ; 
and  man,  who  did  not  know  and  was  to  learn  and  obey,  considering 
the  powers  of  his  reasoning,  and  capability  to  understand. 

In  considering  these  factors,  the  nature  of  both  must  be  taken 
into  view.  God  had  created  man,  and,  being  omniscient,  knew  that 
man  had  ears  and  a  mouth,  and  could  speak  and  receive  and  com- 
municate with  ideas  in  the  use  of  language  composed  of  words. 

Knowing  this,  God  made  his  revelation  to  man  in  words  that  the 
man  could  understand.  If  he  did  not,  then  His  revelation  misleads 
instead  of  improving.  This  we  can  not  believe  with  our  idea  of  God's 
omniscience  and  goodness,  and  the  very  purpose  he  had  in  view  in 
making  the  revelation.  Hence  the  words  were  chosen  by  Him  with 
the  view  to  man's  information,  and  must  have  been  selected  by  God 
as  suitable  and  apt  to  convey  to  man  God's  idea. 

This  is  the  common-sense  view  and  is  the  simple  argument  for 
verbal  inspiration.  It  is  irrefutable  in  man's  reason  and  proves  verbal 
inspiration  without  the  Book  as  witness.  It  appeals  alone  to  man's 
capability  to  reason — an  argument  addressed  to  man's  common  sense. 

Andrew  D.  Northcutt. 

Montgomery  County,  Ky.,  1813.     1890,  Christian  County, 

in. 

Mr.  Northcutt  was  of  Welsh  extraction  and  a  self-made 
man.  His  grandfather,  Jeremiah  Northcutt,  served  seven 
years  as  a  soldier  in  the  Colonial  Army  and  was  present  at 
Yorktown  at  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis.  Mr.  Northcutt's 
school  privileges  were  very  limited,  but  his  persistent  indus- 
try fitted  him  for  the  work  of  teaching.  He  came  to  Illinois 
in  the  fall  of  1836,  and  for  fifty-four  years  he  resided,  suc- 
cessively, in  Sangamon,  Shelby  and  Christian  Counties.  He 
was  a  successful  farmer  and  stock-raiser  and  he  was  a  suc- 
cessful preacher  as  well.  He  entered  the  church  in  1843 
and  the  work  of  the  ministry  shortly  thereafter.  With  his 
pioneer  neighbors  he  ate  and  slept,  exchanged  work  in  the 
harvest-fields,  joined  in  the  drives  to  the  markets  in  the 
genuine  spirit  of  Christian  democracy.     With  them  he  toiled 


BIOGRAPHIES  581 

and  sweat  six  days  in  the  week,  and  to  them  he  sweat  and 
preached  on  the  seventh. 

But  he  was  not  an  exhorter.  His  speech  ran  evenly  and 
calmly  always.  He  was  a  man  of  superior  natural  powers 
of  mind;  analytic,  logical,  clear  and  argued  with  a  force 
peculiarly  his  own.  He  was  energetic  and  tireless  in  the 
organization  and  upbuilding  of  churches  among  the  people 
of  central  Illinois,  at  a  time  when  churches  were  few  and 
far  between,  and  the  visit  of  a  minister  of  any  denomina- 
tion an  event  in  the  community.  As  illustrating  the  denomi- 
national feelings  at  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  he 
related  the  following  incident :  The  Methodist  Sunday  schools 
along  the  Sangamon  River  westward  from  Decatur  united 
in  the  celebration  of  the  Fourth  of  July  in  an  assembly  that 
convened  in  one  of  the  inviting  natural  groves  contiguous  to 
that  stream.  Among  the  banners  carried  in  the  procession  was 
one  representing  a  big  frog  in  the  act  of  jumping  into  the 
stream  traced  below,  and  across  the  form  of  the  ugly 
amphibian  was  printed  the  word  "Campbellite" !  However, 
Mr.  Northcutt  cherished  well-defined  friendships  for  his  old- 
time  friends. 

Harrison  W,  Osborne. 

Kentucky,  18C0.  1883,  Illinois. 

Was  baptized  by  Barton  W.  Stone  in  1817,  and  two  years 
thereafter  was  ordained  to  the  ministry.  Thus  he  early 
became  actively  associated  with  Mr.  Stone  in  his  reformatory 
work.  Mr.  Osborne  came  to  Morgan  County  about  1830, 
and  was  an  earnest  preacher  in  the  Christian  Denomination 
until  the  union  of  the  *'New  Lights"  and  the  '"Reformers" 
into  the  Jacksonville  Church  of  Christ  by  Mr.  Stone  in 
1832.  Thereafter,  to  the  close  of  his  long  and  useful  life, 
he  was  a  faithful  teacher  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  He 
was  a  small  man  physically,  but  with  superior  mental  endow- 
ments and  spiritual  culture.  He  rode  horseback  over  a  wide 
territory  and  was  very  prompt  in  meeting  all  his  engage- 
ments. His  manner  was  modect  and  his  voice  gentle,  but  he 
emphasized    those   teachings   of    the    Scriptures    with    great 


582  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCiPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

earnestness  that  his  hearers  most  needed.  Colonel  Judy  says 
of  him:  "He  was  quite  eloquent,  hewing  close  to  the  line  all 
the  way  through."  ?lis  last  years  were  passed  at  Berlin, 
Sangamon  County.  There  his  beautiful  and  winsome  char- 
acter so  took  hold  of  the  community  that  many  of  the  young 
people  thought  they  could  not  be  married  without  ''Uncle 
Harrison,"  and  his  services  were  in  wide  demand  for 
funerals.  When  the  burden  of  years  became  heavy  upon 
him,  he  said:  *1  am  waiting  for  my  Saviour's  welcome  on 
the  other  shore." 

George  Carroll  Ozven. 

Poplar  Grove,  Tenn.,  1812.  1890,  Columbus,  Kan. 

His  father  was  a  well-known  Methodist  preacher  in  his 
locality  in  Tennessee.  The  family  came  to  Macoupin  County 
in  1830.  Three  years  later,  George  united  with  the  Meth- 
odist Church.  In  a  short  time  he  entered  the  Christian 
Church  and  its  ministry.  He  was  abundant  in  labors  in  that 
section  of  the  State  as  a  forceful  and  convincing  preacher. 
His  life  was  passed  on  the  farm,  and  his  ministerial  services 
were  mainly  without  money  compensation.  Later  in  life,  he 
preached  in  Mississippi,  Louisiana  and  Kansas.  While  on 
the  way  to  fill  an  appointment,  his  last  illness  smote  him 
and  death  took  him.  He  had  been  a  preacher  about  fifty-five 
years,  and  had  aided  in  the  organization  of  many  churches. 

A.  iV.  Page. 

!Mrs.  Mary  A.  Grove  Page  was  baptized  in  1836  in  a 
meeting  held  at  Panther  Creek,  Woodford  Co.,  HI,  by  those 
great  pioneers,  William  Davenport,  James  Robeson  and  Jas. 
A.  Lindsey.  Her  husband,  A.  N.  Page,  was  baptized  by 
Henry  D.  Palmer  in  1844.  Mrs.  Page  said  that  her  husband 
was  converted  by  a  personal  study  of  the  Word,  and  when 
the  minister  came  along  he  w^as  baptized.  Immediately 
thereafter  he  began  what  would  now  be  called  cottage 
prayer-m.eetines.  His  neighbors  were  invited  to  his  home 
and  to  the  homes  of  two  other  families  of  the  community, 


BIOGRAPHIES  583 

where  they  sang,  studied  the  Bible,  prayed  and  observed  the 
Lord's  Supper.  With  this  start.  Minister  Palmer  called  him 
to  the  ministry.  In  this  service  he  continued  fifty  years.  He 
did  missionary  work  in  Woodford,  Mason,  Tazewell,  Liv- 
ingston and  other  counties.  He  led  many  people  in  central 
Illinois  to  Christ,  and  he  was  there  known  and  loved  by 
many. 

Oliver  J.  Page. 

Edwards  County,  111.,  1867. 

Was  a  teacher  in  Eureka  College.  Served  as  principal 
of  the  MetropoHs  High  School  and  pastor  of  the  church 
there.     Elected  to  the  House  of  the  Legislature  in  1898. 

Henry  D.  Palmer. 

Charleston,  S.  C,  178L  1861,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Palmer,  in  his  early  manhood,  was  a  carpenter. 
Before  his  conversion  it  was  his  custom  to  work  seven  days 
in  the  week.  He  cared  nothing  for  God.  The  church  near- 
est his  home  in  Tennessee  belonged  to  the  Presbyterians. 
One  of  its  members  was  a  good  Christian  woman  who  was 
a  neighbor  of  the  Palmer  family.  She  often  invited  them 
to  go  to  meeting  with  herself  and  family,  but  Mr.  Palmer 
always  replied:  *T  am  too  busy."  One  Sunday  morning  she 
stopped  and  first  asked  Mrs.  Palmer  to  go  with  them.  She 
replied:  'T'll  go  if  Henry  will;  you  ask  him."  So  she  went 
out  to  his  shop  and  said:  ''Won't  you  go  to  church  with  me 
to-day?"  He  replied:  "No,  I  haven't  time."  Then  she  said: 
"Henry,  some  time  you'll  have  time  to  die,"  and  left  him. 
That  proved  the  alarm-bell  to  him.  Shortly  he  went  into  his 
residence  and  said :  "Wife,  let's  go  to  church."  They  went, 
and  kept  going.  They  too^ether  read  the  Bible  and  prayed. 
In  due  time  they  wished  to  unite  with  the  church.  As  they 
objected  to  being  sprinkled,  the  Presbyterian  minister 
immersed  them.  Just  before  he  was  baptized  he  took  his 
tobacco  from  his  pocket  and  threw  it  far  away,  saying:  "I 
read  in  the  Bible  that  we  must  put  away  all  filthiness  of  the 


584  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

flesh."  As  he  continued  to  study  the  Bible,  he  found  that 
he  could  not  subscribe  to  the  Westminster  Confession  of 
Faith;  so  in  kindness  he  withdrew  and  united  with  the  Bap- 
tists. He  came  to  Illinois  first  in  1819,  and  for  a  time  was 
associated  with  the  ''Christian  Settlement"  that  had  been 
formed  the  year  before  in  Lawrence  County,  seven  miles 
northwest  of  Vincennes,  Ind.  The  locality  is  now  known 
as  Allison  Prairie.  The  settlement  was  founded  and  the 
church  there  formed  by  the  good  people  of  the  Christian 
Denomination.  Mr.  Palmer  was  then  formally  affiliated  with 
them.  He  left  there  and  went  to  Indiana,  but  returned  to 
Illinois  in  1835  and  settled  on  Crow  Creek,  in  Marshall 
County.  There  he  bought  a  farm,  on  which  he  made  his 
home  to  the  close  of  his  life.  Thereafter,  his  course  was 
that  of  the  brave  and  self-sacrificing  pioneers.  He  traveled 
and  preached  far  and  near.  He  was  one  of  the  strongest 
preachers  of  the  period,  and  most  of  the  infant  churches  of 
central  Illinois  were  helped  by  his  able.  Scriptural  sermons. 
He  was  present  and  helped  in  the  formation  of  the  General 
Christian  Missionary  Society  at  Cincinnati,  O.,  in  1849.  In 
1850  he  was  at  Shelbyville,  and  assisted  in  organizing  the 
State  Missionary  Society  and  was  chosen  its  first  president. 
He  taught  O.  A.  Burgess  the  way  of  the  Lord,  baptized 
him  and  induced  him  to  become  a  preacher. 

/.  A.  J.  Parker. 

Farmington,  Tenn.,   1840. 

When  a  little  child,  was  taken  with  his  father's  family 
to  Tippah  County,  Miss.  There  he  grew  to  manhood.  His 
father  was  a  Christian  preacher,  so  the  son  received  a  good 
education  for  that  day.  He  became  a  Christian  in  1858.  At 
seventeen  he  became  a  schoolmaster  and  continued  in  this 
work  until  the  Civil  War  bee^an.  He  enlisted  in  the  First 
Alabama  Federal  Cavalry  and  was  honorably  discharged  as 
first  lieutenant.  He  came  to  Johnson  County,  111.,  in  1865. 
There  he  has  been  a  farmer,  merchant,  schoolmaster,  singing 
teacher  and  preacher.     In  1888  he  was  elected  to  the  House 


BIOGRAPHIES  585 

in  the  General  Assembly.  Mr.  Parker  is  a  man  of  fine  char- 
acter. He  is  modest,  cultured  and  sweet-spirited  and  devoted 
to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  His  ministry  in  southern 
Illinois  has  been  a  blessing  to  many.  He  has  taught  113 
singing-classes  and  in  this  way  won  the  hearts  of  the  young 
people,  and  then  won  them  to  Christ.  He  has  evangelized, 
established  congregations  and  cared  for  them.  One  elder 
said:  ''Bro.  Parker  has  completely  transformed  the  character 
of  this  community  during  his  ministry." 

Two  of  his  sons,  W.  A.  and  B.  E.  Parker,  are  Christian 
ministers,  and  also  his  son-in-law,  E.  W.  Sears. 

John  F.  M.  Parker. 

Knox  County,  O.,  1838.  1906,  Galesburg,  111.  ^ 

When  a  child  he  came  with  his  father's  family  to  Illinois. 
Was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  Berean  Christian 
College  at  Jacksonville.  He  entered  the  active  ministry  at 
the  age  of  nineteen,  in  which  he  continued  forty-five  years. 
He  organized  and  built  up  the  church  at  Putnam,  which  was 
his  home.  His  ministry  extended  over  the  southern  section 
of  the  Military  Tract.  He  served  as  State  evangelist  of  Min- 
nesota for  several  years,  where  his  heroic  work  was  fruitful 
of  results  that  remain  to  this  day.  His  faith  w^as  rich  and 
strong,  his  Tife  gentle  and  peaceable,  his  character  beautiful 
and  winsome.  He  gave  himself  heartily  to  the  Restoration 
movement,  although  the  active  years  of  his  life  were  passed 
on  his  farm,  where  most  of  his  ten  children  grew  up.  Within 
eleven  months  he  lost  a  son,  a  daughter,  his  farm  and  his 
wife.  But  then  he  said:  'T  know  whom  I  have  believed,  and 
am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  com- 
mitted to  him  against  that  day."  Mins.  J.  E.  and  L.  G. 
Parker  are  his  sons. 

Ahner  Peeler. 

No  name  is  met  more  frequently  among  the  pioneer 
preachers  of  central  Illinois  than  Abner  Peeler's.  ^  He  was 
abundant  in  labors,  preaching  the  gospel  over  a  wide  scope 


586         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

of  the  new  and  sparsely  settled  country.  Yet  little  of  him 
went  into  the  written  records  of  the  times.  He  was  a  man 
of  varying  moods.  In  the  thirties  he,  with  Hughes  Bowles, 
began  a  meeting  of  days  in  a  log-cabin  residence  of  one  of 
the  brethren.  Within  a  few  days  the  meeting  failed  to  come 
up  to  Mr.  Peeler's  expectations  and  he  became  discouraged. 
He  told  Mr.  Bowles  that  he  was  too  sick  to  help  that  even- 
ing, and  that  he  would  lie  down  on  the  bench  and  listen  to 
the  songs  and  sermon.  Such  difficulties  challenged  the 
courage  of  Mr.  Bowles,  so  he  then  preached  with  such 
power  that  several  persons  went  forward  to  make  the  good 
confession.  This  at  once  restored  Mr.  Peeler  to  his  normal 
condition  of  health.  He  was  instantly  upon  the  floor,  and, 
without  coat  or  boots,  made  such  an  exhortation  that  the 
entire  assembly  was  moved  and  a  number  of  others  turned 
to  the  Lord.  After  that,  Mr.  Peeler  was  often  referred  to 
as  ''the  preacher  who  exhorted  in  his  stocking  feet."  But 
he  was  a  farther-seeing  man  and  advised  his  brethren  to 
move  out  of  the  woods  and  settle  on  the  prairies.  At  one 
time  he  resided  in  White  Oak  Grove,  in  Woodford  County. 

L.  B.  Pickerill. 

Woodford  County,  111.,   1853. 

Educated  at  Eureka  and  at  the  Bible  College,  Lexington, 
Ky.  His  ministry  has  been  wholly  given  to  the  churches 
of  Christ  in  Illinois,  which  he  has  served  faithfully  and  welL 

William  S.  Pickrell. 

Montgomery  County,  Ky.,  1807.  1870,  IMechanicsburg", 
111. 

Accompanied  by  his  brother,  Jesse  Pickrell,  he  came  to 
Sangamon  County  in  1828.  Together  the  two  brothers  had 
three  horses  and  $300.  He  entered  land  where  Mechanics- 
burg  now  is  and  later  laid  out  that  village.  He  was  a  man 
of  public  and  patriotic  spirit,  and  came  to  know  personally 
every  man  of  prominence  in  the  then  large  county  of  Sanga- 
mon.    In  the  Black  Hawk  War  he  messed  with  his  friends, 


BIOGRAPHIES  587 

Abraham  Lincoln,  John  T.  Stewart  and  Elijah  lies.  He 
became  a  major  in  the  State  Militia. 

He  became  a  Christian  in  1842.  At  once  he  took  an 
active  and  leading  part  in  the  church.  A  man  of  superior 
capabilities  and  spirit,  he  served  the  congregation  with  great 
efficiency  in  every  position.  When  no  preacher  was  present, 
he  spoke  well  to  the  people.  He  was  always  ready  for 
every  good  work — to  instruct  the  untaught,  to  encourage  the 
discouraged,  to  strengthen  the  weak,  comfort  the  sorrowing, 
to  assist  the  needy  and  help  bury  the  dead.  His  home  was 
noted  for  its  hospitality  near  and  far.  Many  found  a 
cheerful  welcome.  At  a  ''State  Meeting"  held  there  in  1856, 
his  home  entertained  sixty-four  delegates.  As  his  ten  chil- 
dren grew  of  age  to  attend  public  worship,  those  who,  for 
any  reason,  were  required  to  stay  at  home,  cried.  One  of  his 
daughters  became  the  wife  of  Harvey  N.  Edwards,  another 
of  George  Pasfield,  and  a  third  of  Wm.  Bayard  Craig.  The 
last.  Miss  Emma,  led  the  congregation  in  a  period  of  weak- 
ness— superintending  the  Bible  school,  presiding  at  the  Lord's 
table,  and  doing  whatever  needed  to  be  done  until  the  tide 
turned  in  the  congregation's  life. 

Mr.  Pickrell  was  a  tall,  large  man,  with  a  florid  com- 
plexion and  gracious  manner.     He  was    a    prince    of    the 

/.  Henry  Pickrell. 

Mechanicsburg,  111.,  1834.  1901,  Springfield,  111. 

Was  a  son  of  W.  S.  Pickrell,  and  widely  and  most  favor- 
ably known  to  many  still  living.  He  was  a  most  faithful 
Christian  everywhere  and  in  all  things.  He  was  always 
willing  to  assume  the  hardest  tasks,  always  cheerful,  hope- 
ful, full  of  faith  and  forgetful  of  self.  He  was  heard  to 
say  that  he  had  not  missed  a  prayer-meeting  in  forty  years. 

W.  0.  Pinnell. 

Oldham  County,  Ky.,  1824.  1899,  Paris,  Til. 

Was  a  fine  farmer,  stockman  and  banker  in  Edgar 
County.    He  was  active  in  raising  the  Seventy-ninth  Illinois 


588  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  as  captain  of  Com- 
pany H.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Twenty-eighth  General 
Assembly,  served  as  county  clerk  in  Edgar  and  as  mayor  and 
postmaster  at  Paris.  He  was  a  member  of  the  congrega- 
tions at  Kansas  and  Paris. 

James  Pool 

Came  to  the  Barney's  Prairie  settlement  in  what  is  now 
Wabash  County  from  Hamilton  County,  O.,  in  18LS.  He 
was  the  first  minister  of  the  Barney's  Prairie  Church  and 
continued  in  that  relation  until  his  death  in  18.^4.  He  was 
a  godly  man  and  very  considerate  of  the  feeHngs  of  others. 
On  one  occasion  he  entertained  a  brother  overnight.  Early 
next  morning  he  built  a  rousing  fire  in  the  open  fireplace  in 
the  room  where  his  guest  was  sleeping.  He  thought  to  fur- 
ther please  him  by  playing  on  his  violin.  The  guest  arose 
and  said:  "Bro.  Pool,  you  have  offended  me."  Whereupon, 
Mr.  Pool,  laying  his  vioHn  on  the  fire,  said:  'T  will  never 
offend  you  again."  Such  condescension  to  the  Christian 
weakness  and  prejudice  indicates  the  spirit  of  this  good  min- 
ister of  Jesus  Christ,  who,  through  thirty-three  years  of 
pioneer  toil,  laid  deep  and  strong  the  foundations  of  this 
great  church. 

William  C.  Poynter. 

Barren  County,  Ky.,  1821.  1899,  Albion,  Neb.^ 

Came  with  his  father's  family  to  Illinois  in  1836,  settling 
at  Palestine,  Woodford  County,  which  was  then  a  part  of 
McLean.  Shortly  thereafter,  he  became  a  Christian  under 
the  preaching  of  Wm.  Davenport,  and  at  once  a  diligent  stu- 
dent of  the  word  of  God.  He  carried  his  Testament  in  his 
pocket  and  in  a  few  years  could  quote  most  of  it  from  his 
memory.  In  1852  he  lost  one  of  his  arms  by  an  accident. 
This  turned  him  from  farming  to  preaching.  His  ministerial 
work  was  mostly  in  Woodford  County,  but  it  reached  over 
much  of  central  Illinois.  In  Iroquois  County  he  was  a 
pioneer,  laying  the  foundation  at  Watseka,  W^oodland  and 
Onarga,  in  the  Spring  Creek  community.    In  Boone  County, 


B.  J.  RADFORD. 


OUVER  W.  STEWART. 


T.  T.  HOLTON. 


JOHN  W.  ALLEN. 


BIOGRAPHIES  589 

Neb.,  he  did  similar  effective  work.  His  preaching  produced 
an  intelligent  faith  in  men  that  lasted  and  held  them  stead- 
fast to  Christian  duty.  Mr.  Poynter  filled  a  number  of  civil 
offices.  Of  his  two  sons  who  reached  maturity,  the  elder, 
^^  .  A.  Poynter,  held  several  honorable  positions  in  the  State 
of  Nebraska,  one  of  them  being  Governor,  while  the  younger, 
D.  J.,  is  still  a  preacher  and  an  editor  there. 

/.  A.  Reed. 

Ohio  County,  Ind.,  1842. 

Is  a  farmer  and  resides  at  Mason.  Served  through  Civil 
War  in  the  Eighty-third  Indiana  Infantry.  He  was  elected 
to  the  House  of  the  Legislature  in  1906. 

John  C.  Reynolds. 

Kentucky,  1822.  1906,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Reynolds  came  to  Illinois  in  1839.  He  settled  in 
Warren  County,  a  few  miles  west  of  Abingdon.  He  was 
licensed  to  preach  in  1850  by  the  Meridian  Church  of  Christ. 
He  graduated  at  Bethany  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
Abingdon  College.  In  this  school  he  served  as  teacher  for 
six  years.  For  two  years  he  was  president  of  Christian 
University  at  Canton,  Mo.  The  other  years  of  his  active 
life  were  given  to  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry  in 
Illinois  and  Missouri.  In  1867  he  became  the  proprietor  and 
editor  of  the  Gospel  Echo,  and  continued  in  this  work  for 
a  period  of  six  years.  He  grasped  and  clearly  under- 
stood the  subjects  to  which  he  gave  his  attention.  His 
method  was  distinctly  didactic.  He  was  as  humble,  sincere 
and  guileless  as  a  little  child.  His  sympathies  were  as  wide 
as  the  needs  of  humanity.  His  faith  was  always  serene,  his 
work  led  by  high  ideals  and  his  life  a  benediction  to  his 
generation. 

Elbert  G.  Rice. 

Columbia,  Tenn.,  1823.  1892,  Jacksonville,  111. 

Came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois  in  1832.  Their  home 
was  made  near  the  present  village  of  Riggston.     His  train- 


590         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

ing  in  the  public  and  subscription  schools  was  supplemented 
by  his  lifelong  readings  and  study.  Thus  he  came  to  be  a 
well-informed  man,  with  good  ability  to  think,  reason  and 
preach.  He  knew  the  Bible  well  and  was  sincerely  devoted 
to  the  Restoration  movement.  Mr.  Rice  was  a  successful 
farmer  throughout  his  life,  in  Cass  County  for  fourteen 
years,  but  most  of  the  time  in  Morgan.  He  served  fre- 
quently as  an  evangelist,  but  was  particularly  a  friend  of  the 
weak  and  needy  congregations.  These  he  would  help  until 
they  could  help  themselves,  and  then  turn  to  other  like 
places.  In  him  were  united  many  admirable  traits.  He  was 
an  intelligent,  modest,  gentle  and  strong,  highly  esteemed 
man  and  much  loved  by  all.  For  many  years  he  was  a  very 
valuable  factor  in  the  Jacksonville  Church.  His  life  and 
ministry  were  richly  blessed  of  God.  Of  his  eleven  children, 
nine  are  living.  .    , .    „. 

His  grandfather,  Scott  Riggs,  came  to  Illinois  in  1815 
and  settled  on  Allison  Prairie,  in  Lawrence  County,  which 
was  then  a  part  of  Crawford.  He  was  a  blacksmith,  farmer 
and  preacher.  He  served  as  a  member  of  the  first  Legis- 
lature of  the  State  in  1818.  He  was  active  in  uniting  the 
Christians  and  Disciples  in  that  part  of  the  State.  He 
moved  to  Scott  County  in  1825,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
church  at  Exeter  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

J.  M.  Riggs  served  one  term  as  sherifif  of  Scott  County, 
was  a  member  of  the  Twenty-seventh  Illinois  Legislature, 
of  the  Forty-eighth  and  Forty-ninth  United  States  Con- 
gresses, was  nineteen  years  a  member  of  the  Winchester 
Board  of  Education,  and  an  ofHcer  of  the  board  during  the 
entire  period.  He  has  long  been  an  active  member  and 
efficient  officer  of  the  Winchester  Church. 

James  Robeson. 

South  Carolina,  1797.  1888,  Secor,  111. 

The  family  of  James  Robeson  moved  from  South  Caro- 
lina to  Kentucky  on  horseback  in  1798,  settling  at  the  present 


BIOGRAPHIES  591 

site  of  Hopkinsville.  There  he  grew  to  manhood  on  a  farm 
on  a  part  of  which  the  courthouse  now  stands.  He  attended 
such  schools  as  were  within  reach  at  that  time,  and  after- 
ward a  select  school  conducted  by  Barton  W.  Stone.  In 
1813  he  became  a  Christian  under  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Stone, 
and  shortly  thereafter  entered  the  ministry.  About  this  time, 
Mr.  Stone  and  Clement  Nance,  Sr.,  were  starting  on  a 
preaching  tour  from  New  Albany  to  Crawfordsville,  Ind. 
Young  Robeson  accepted  an  invitation  to  accompany  them. 
On  the  return  trip  they  stopped  overnight  at  the  home  of 
Mr.  Nance,  and,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  time,  had 
preaching.  Young  Robeson  said  to  the  girls  in  the  Nance 
family  that  they  should  not  tell  any  one  that  he  was  a 
preacher.  But  they,  with  true  girlish  impulse,  spread  the 
report  quickly  and  widely.  That  evening  he  was  impressed 
to  preach  his  first  sermon  before  a  large  audience  and  in  the 
presence  of  Messrs.  Stone  and  Nance.  This  was  the  begin- 
ning of  a  laborious  and  fruitful  ministry  that  reached 
through  a  period  of  seventy  years.  He  traveled  with  Mr. 
Stone  not  a  little,  preaching  from  house  to  house  and  hold- 
ing series  of  meetings  in  the  fall  season.  During  these 
earlier  years,  Mr.  Robeson  was  profoundly  impressed  by  the 
beautiful  spirit  and  strong  life  of  Mr.  Stone.  These  preach- 
ing tours  reached  into  Tennessee  and  Missouri  also. 

In  1822,  Mr.  Robeson  was  married  in  Kentucky  to  Miss 
Jane  A.  Earle.     They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children. 

In  1835  he  sold  his  lands  in  Kentucky  and  freed  his 
twenty  slaves,  giving  the  State  his  bond  for  $100,000  for 
their  maintenance.  Coming  to  Illinois,  he  settled  in  Taze- 
well County  on  a  piece  of  land  that  is  now  the  north  edge 
of  Eureka.  After  a  short  residence  in  Washington,  he 
moved  to  a  point  eight  miles  southeast  of  Eureka  and  there 
started  a  town  that  he  named  Bowling  Green.  Here  he 
was  engaged  in  merchandising.  But  he  held  to  his  preach- 
ing constantly  and  faithfully  in  all  the  regions  around  his 
places  of  residence.  Much  of  his  preaching  was  in  the 
hewed-log  schoolhouses,  so  he  came  to  be  called  the  hewed- 


592  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

log  preacher.  In  the  earlier  years  of  his  ministry  he  was 
opposed  to  a  preacher's  receiving  money  for  their  public 
services,  but  later  he  came  to  see  the  Scripture  teaching  on 
the  subject.  Reverses  in  his  secular  business  probably 
accentuated  this. 

In  1841  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature.  He 
declined  a  second  term  on  the  ground  that  no  preacher  has 
time  to  so  use.  He  was  associated  with  Ben  Major  and 
Thomas  Bullock  in  leading  the  movement  that  resulted  in  the 
organization  of  Woodford  County  from  slices  of  McLean 
and  Tazewell  Counties  in  1841. 

In  1857  he  sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  Secor.  There- 
after, he  was  engaged  in  evangelistic  work  for  about  eight 
years  under  the  auspices  of  the  McLean  County  Co-opera- 
tion. In  the  later  years  of  his  life  he  was  known  as  "Uncle 
Jimmy  Robeson."  He  was  one  of  God's  elect.  In  his 
sermons  the  love  of  God  for  man  predominated.  He  was  a 
fine  exhorter.  Many,  many  great  audiences  were  moved  to 
tears  by  his  persuasive  pleadings.  Sitting  in  a  chair,  he 
preached  his  last  sermon  at  the  age  of  ninety-one.  He  was 
mighty  in  prayer,  his  supplications  now  melting  his  hearers 
into  tears,  now  lifting  them  to  the  gates  of  glory.  His 
courage  equaled  his  pathos.  On  one  occasion,  at  Money 
Creek,  twelve  miles  southwest  of  Lexington,  McLean  County, 
he  conducted  a  very  successful  meeting.  Among  the  num- 
ber was  a  wife  whose  husband  swore  that  he  would  shoot 
any  man  who  baptized  her.  His  neighbors  said  he  was  a 
dangerous  man  and  tried  to  dissuade  Mr.  Robeson.  He 
replied:  'Tf  she  comes,  I  will  baptize  her,  knowing  that  I 
will  be  doing  my  Master's  will."  A  great  concourse  of 
people  assembled  at  the  usual  place  on  the  banks  of  the 
Mackinaw  the  next  Sunday.  The  husband  was  there  with 
his  gun  in  hand.  Mr.  Robeson  first  offered  one  of  his 
powerful  prayers  that  touched  and  subdued  all  hearts.  The 
wife  was  baptized  without  disturbance.  A  short  time 
thereafter,  Mr.  Robeson  baptized  the  husband  at  the  same 
place. 


BIOGRAPHIES  593 

Levi  Mac  Robinson. 

Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  1831. 

His  early  life  was  spent  on  the  farm.  His  education 
began  in  a  log  schoolhouse.  At  eighteen  he  was  converted 
in  the  United  Brethren  Church  and  began  at  once  in  the 
active  service  of  the  Lord.  He  came  to  Mt.  Pulaski,  111., 
in  1860  and  served  congregations  thereabout.  Through  the 
loving  and  faithful  ministry  of  Dr.  J.  M.  Allen,  Mr.  Robin- 
son united  with  the  Christian  Church.  Since  then,  until  the 
heavy  hands  of  the  years  laid  their  disabilities  upon  him, 
he  was  an  active  and  faithful  preacher  in  many  fields  in 
central  Illinois.  From  his  home  in  Mt.  Pulaski  he  responded 
to  many  calls  from  many  people  and  places.  There  he  is 
now,  a  highly  respected  and  revered  citizen. 

Charles  0.  Roive. 

Delaware  County,  N.  Y.  1893,  Laramie,  Wyo. 

Mr.  Rowe  was  first  a  blacksmith,  and  the  action  of  the 
smith  characterized,  in  a  measure,  his  public  ministry — he 
hit  hard  licks.  He  began  to  preach  at  the  Berea  Church,  in 
Morgan  County,  in  1852.  His  last  sermon  was  on  Christmas 
Day,  1892,  on  ''Posting  the  Books  for  Fifty  Years."  He 
did  successful  work  in  Illinois  for  many  years.  Mr.  T.  T. 
Holton  furnishes  the  following  incidents  that  will  portray 
the  man  and  his  manner: 

The  Sapsucker  Sermon. 

When  pastor  of  the  church  at  Berlin  in  the  sixties,  he  was  walking 
to  church  on  Sunday  morning  when  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a 
sapsucker  at  work.  He  was  impressed  and  said  to  himself,  'That 
bird  never  planted  the  tree,  and  had  it  been  left  to  him  there  would 
have  been  no  sap  there."  Instantly  the  sermon  he  had  prepared  for 
that  morning  was  placed  on  file  and  he  proceeded  to  make  some  shoes 
that  would  fit,  as  was  his  manner.  He  spoke  of  human  parasites, 
hangers-on,  deadbeats ;  legislators  who  traveled  on  passes  while  the 
masses  paid  their  railroad  fares,  and  members  of  the  board  of  equali- 
zation who  did  the  same;  of  the  leeches  and  bloodsuckers  of  society; 
of  loafing  big  boys  who  ate  the  bread  of  their  mothers'  toil;  of 
"sanctified"  husbands  who  loafed  at  stores  while  their  wives  made  the 


594  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

living;  of  the  fellows  who  came  to  help  after  the  fire  was  out,  and,  by 
contrast,  of  the  praise  and  credit  that  should  be  given  honest  laborers 
in  all  necessary  industries.    The  sermon  was  remembered  many  years. 
Another  incident  was 

The   Pious    Dog. 

Mr.  Rowe  began  a  protracted  meeting  in  a  country  church  in 
Illinois.  The  first  night  the  people  came  in  crowds  and  with 
them  came  many  dogs — he  guessed  the  number  at  sixty.  In 
the  main  there  was  no  particular  disturbance  until  two  of  the 
unfriendly  curs  came  into  collision.  He  met  the  emergency  by 
saying  just  before  dismission:  "Now,  brethren,  the  dogs  are  all 
right.  They  seem  to  enjoy  being  here.  They  like  to  come  to 
church.  They  like  to  be  with  their  folks.  A  dog  would  rather  be 
with  a  man  than  to  be  with  another  dog.  I  find  no  fault  with  the  dog 
or  his  master.  But,  brethren,  dogs  have  no  souls.  The  preacher  has 
no  mission  to  dogs,  and  the  attendance  of  so  many  dogs  with  different 
dispositions,  and  different  views  upon  the  subjects  of  the  day,  may 
cause  a  clash  and  seriously  interfere  with  the  meeting.  Now,  will 
you  not  all  just  tie  up  your  dogs  to-morrow  night  at  home  and  see 
how  we  will  get  along  without  them."  The  suggestion  was  fully 
acted  upon.  The  next  night  Mr.  Rowe  was  well  up  on  Jacob's  ladder 
in  his  sermon,  when  a  startling  crash  was  heard;  the  door  flew  wide 
open,  and  a  great  dog,  with  chain  about  his  neck  and  an  attached 
post  upon  his  shoulders,  moved  to  the  front  of  the  platform,  stopped 
and  looked  with  evident  satisfaction  at  the  audience.  The  sermon 
ended  and  every  one  laughed.  The  post  was  detached  and  the  dog 
led  out.  Mr.  Rowe  concluded  the  meeting  as  f ollov.^s :  "Brethren, 
there  is  a  great  lesson  for  all  of  us  in  what  we  have  seen  here  to-night. 
This  pious  dog  has  taught  us  what  we  should  not  forget.  He  wanted 
to  come  to  meeting  to-night  because  he  had  been  here  before.  I  have 
just  learned  that  he  has  been  a  regular  attendant.  You  can  not  keep 
the  regulars  away.  You  can  not  tie  them  up  so  they  will  not  break 
away  and  come.  Brethren,  get  the  habit  of  being  here  and  you  will 
like  it  and  can't  be  kept  away.  Then,  this  good  dog  wanted  to  be  with 
his  folks.  He  chose  his  society.  He  was  restless  away  from  those 
who  befriended  him.  So  ought  those  to  be  who  stay  away  from  the 
house  of  God.  Wake  up  and  come  where  you  will  enjoy  your  best 
friends.  This  brave  dog  tugged  at  his  post  that  held  him  and  never 
let  up  till  he  was  with  his  folks  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  I  close 
with  one  suggestion,  that  this  pious  dog  be  allowed  to  be  present 
every  night  of  the  meeting  if  he  chooses  to  come.  Let  us  be  dis- 
missed." .J  J-, 

Andrezv  Ross. 

In  the  year  1845,  John,  Joseph  and  Andrew  Ross,  three 
of  the  sons  of  Min.  William  Ross,  a  Methodist  preacher  of 


BIOGRAPHIES  595 

Tuscarawas  County,  O.,  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in  Ohio 
Township,  in  the  northern  part  of  Bureau  County.  These 
sons  were  following  in  the  religious  footsteps  of  their  father. 
John  was  an  ordained  minister,  while  Joseph  and  Andrew 
were  class-leaders  in  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church. 
Before  leaving  Ohio,  John  had  become  somewhat  skeptical 
about  the  Scripturalness  of  some  of  the  teachings  of  the 
church  of  which  they  were  members.  In  their  new  home  the 
three  brothers  began  a  careful  and  sincere  study  of  the 
Scriptures  to  satisfy  themselves  on  these  questions.  This 
investigation  led  them  to  leave  the  Methodist  Church,  to  be 
immersed  and  to  identify  themselves  with  those  who  desired 
to  be  known  as  Christians  only — rejecting  human  creeds  and 
accepting  the  Bible  as  the  sole  Scriptural  guide.  They  began 
preaching  these  truths  from  house  to  house,  and  soon  organ- 
ized the  Ohio  Township  Church  of  Christ.  About  this  tiiiie, 
John  Ross  built  a  new  barn,  in  which  meetings  were  held  for 
a  time.  Here  George  McManis  and  Minister  Parkerson 
helped  them  in  protracted  meetings.  Later,  the  congrega- 
tion met  in  the  new  schoolhouse.  Afterward,  a  chapel  was 
built  on  the  farm  of  John  Ross.  These  Disciples  met  with 
opposition  from  their  religious  neighbors.  Hence,  they  were 
called  upon  to  defend  their  teaching.  This  made  them  thor- 
ough Bible  students  and  able  exponents  of  the  word  of  God. 
John  Ross  moved  to  Pine  Creek,  in  Ogle  County,  where 
he  served  the  church.  Later,  he  moved  to  Alma,  111.,  where 
he  resided  till  his  death.  Thereafter,  the  chief  responsibility 
devolved  upon  Andrew.  He  continued  to  look  after  his  large 
farm  through  the  week,  preach  for  the  congregation  on  Sun- 
days, and  usually  invited  a  large  number  of  his  hearers  to 
go  home  with  him  to  dinner.  He  reared  a  large  family  of 
his  own  and  some  adopted  children  besides.  He  was  diligent 
in  business,  generous  with  his  accumulations,  fervent  in 
spirit  and  walked  in  fear  of  the  Lord  and  the  high  favor  of 
men.  At  ninety  his  heart  rests  upon  the  divine  promises 
and  his  eye  is  fixed  upon  the  eternal  city.  He  is  of  the  class 
that  has  greatly  enriched  the  world. 


596         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES  IN   ILLINOIS 

George  W.  Ross. 

Macon  County,  111.,  1855.  1910,  Vermont,  111. 

His  early  life  was  passed  upon  the  farm.  He  attended 
the  public  schools,  Kentucky  University,  and  graduated  from 
Eureka  College  in  1881.  Nearly  all  of  his  ministry  was 
given  to  Illinois,  the  closing  seventeen  years  with  the  Ver- 
mont Church  as  its  pastor.  Three  days  before  his  death,  he 
drove  fifteen  miles  to  conduct  a  funeral.  His  wish  was  to 
"die  in  harness." 

Charles  W.  Ross,  one  of  the  most  capable  preachers  in 
the  State,  is  his  son. 

Joseph  B,  Royal. 

1816.  1898,  Vermont,  111. 

Became  a  Christian  in  Sangamon  County.  Like  his 
Master,  he  was  a  carpenter  before  he  became  a  preacher. 
His  home  was  at  Vermont  for  many  years.  With  that  town 
as  a  center,  he  preached  throughout  the  Military  Tract.  He 
baptized  about  four  thousand  persons.  The  strength  of  his 
life  was  given  to  his  generation.  It  was  a  time  of  sacrifices. 
Preachers'  salaries  were  small,  and  ofttimes  a  part  was  never 
paid.  But  his  heart  was  in  his  work.  He  went  afoot  or  on 
horseback  to  his  appointments.  He  preached  in  homes, 
barns,  groves,  courthouses  and  schoolhouses.  For  more  than 
fifty  years  he  held  steadily  on  in  his  ministry  till  the  dis- 
ability of  age  laid  its  hand  upon  him.  In  his  prime  he  was 
a  power  in  the  pulpit. 

John  L.  Routt. 

Eddyvllle,  Ky.,  1826.  ^  ^  Denver,  Col.  ^ 

Was  brought  in  his  infancy  by  his  parents  to  Illinois. 
Served  as  captain  of  Company  E,  Ninety-fourth  Illinois 
Infantry,  through  the  Civil  War.  Was  appointed  Governor 
of  the  Territory  of  Colorado  by  President  Grant,  and  after 
its  admission  as  a  State  in  1876,  he  was  twice  elected  as  its 
chief  executive.     Mr.  Routt  was    probably    the    first    man 


BIOGRAPHIES  597 

among  the  Disciples  to  pay  $10,000,  in  one  sum,  to  the  work 
of  the  church.  This  he  did  toward  the  erection  of  the  First 
Christian  Church  in  Denver,  Col.,  of  which  he  was  a 
member. 

Gershom  L.  Rude, 

New  York,  1808.  1890,  IlHnois. 

In  early  life,  Mr.  Rude  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade. 
He  spent  some  time  in  Ohio,  where,  at  Harrison,  he  became 
a  Christian  and  at  once  entered  into  active  service  in  the 
church.  He  became  associated  with  George  Campbell  and 
Sidney  Rigdon,  who  afterward  became  a  Mormon.  Later, 
Mr.  Rude  moved  to  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  and  just  outside  its 
limits  he  had  his  shop.  In  this  city  his  devotion  to  the  Lord 
and  his  ability  as  a  public  teacher  of  the  Word  was  recog- 
nized. He  was  associated  with  Mins.  John  C.  New,  John 
O'Kane,  Henry  R.  Pritchard  and  Love  H.  Jameson. 

Mr.  Rude  came  to  Edgar  County  in  1855  and  located  a 
few  miles  northeast  of  Paris.  Here,  upon  his  farm,  he 
opened  a  blacksmith  shop,  united  with  the  Paris  Church  and 
began  to  preach  on  Sundays.  The  passing  years  were  more 
and  more  given  to  the  work  of  the  ministry.  He  went  where 
he  was  invited.  His  work  extended  into  Coles  County,  and 
in  Edgar  County  there  were  few  communities  where  he  did 
not  preach,  oftentimes  without  money  and  without  price. 
Through  life  he  was  an  incessant  and  discriminating  reader. 
His  knowledge  of  the  Bible  was  such  that  he  would  locate 
quickly  almost  any  passage  read  or  quoted  to  him.  He 
clothed  his  thought  in  good  language.  His  style  was  clear, 
argumentative  and  very  dogmatic.  In  his  best  years  his 
ministry  turned  many  to  the  Lord.  Withal,  he  was  a  good 
singer,  and  usually  started  the  songs  in  his  meetings.  He 
was  generous,  benevolent  and  kindly  in  heart.  He  was,  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War,  an  ardent  Unionist  and  the  incarnation 
of  moral  courage.  Political  feeling  was  unusually  warm  in 
the  southern  part  of  Edgar  County,  as  well  as  elsewhere, 
during  that  period.  Mr.  Rude  was  preaching  in  those  parts 
then.     Before  beginning  his  discourse  there  on  one  occasion, 


598  HISTORY    OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

he  said:  ''Some  people  are  always  crying  peace,  peace.  In 
the  name  of  God,  if  you  want  peace,  why  don't  you  have  it? 
You  cry  peace  with  a  revolver  in  each  pocket  and  the  devil 
in  your  heart."  People  often  became  so  angry  with  him  for 
his  preaching  that  they  furiously  declared  that  they  would 
never  hear  him  again ;  But  these  generally  did  hear  him  again, 
and  many  of  them,  sooner  or  later,  became  Christians  only. 

William  B.  Ryan, 

Virginia,  1800.  _  1877,  Missouri. 

Mr.  Ryan's  family  moved  to  Logan  County,  Ky.,  in  1818, 
and  from  there  to  Logan  County,  HI.,  in  1830.  The  latter 
trip  was  made  in  an  ox-cart  and  required  three  weeks'  time. 
The  settlement  was  in  Eminence  Township.  His  first  home 
there  was  a  log  cabin,  in  which  the  family  passed  the  winter 
of  "the  deep  snow." 

In  1839  he  and  his  wife  were  baptized  by  Walter  P. 
Bowles.  He  at  once  began  to  preach.  He  was  afifectionately 
called  by  most  people  ''Uncle  Billy."  As  a  pioneer  preacher, 
he  was  a  favorite  with  the  early  settlers  in  Logan,  Tazewell 
and  DeWitt  Counties.  His  meetings  were  held  in  dweUings, 
schoolhouses,  mills,  or  anywhere  he  could  assemble  an  audi- 
ence. One  of  his  favorite  expressions  was,  "Remember  the 
warning  of  Mt.  Sinai."  He  was  a  great  admirer  of  Alex- 
ander Campbell,  who  was  once  his  guest.  When  traveling 
north  from  Springfield  in  1853,  Mr.  Campbell  was  accom- 
panied by  G.  W.  Minier  and  others.  They  stopped  at  the 
home  of  Mr.  Ryan  for  dinner.  They  found  Mr.  Ryan  busy 
making  ax-handles.  These  Mr.  Campbell  examined,  making 
suggestions  as  to  their  weight,  size,  shape,  etc.  The  two 
hours'  visit  was  much  enjoyed  by  all.  As  they  left,  Mr. 
Campbell  expressed  himself  as  being  much  pleased  with  Mr. 
Ryan.  His  home  on  the  border  of  the  "Big  Prairie"  was 
the  stopping-place  for  most  travelers  passino-  through  that 
region.  His  hospitality  knew  no  bounds.  His  latch-string 
was  always  out.  Abraham  Lincoln  was  often  his  guest.  A 
business  letter   from  Mr.  Lincoln  to  him  is  a  much-prized 


BIOGRAPHIES  599 

keepsake  of  his  grandsons.  He,  with  eighteen  others,  organ- 
ized the  Bethel  Church  in  the  northern  part  of  Logan 
County.  He  was  its  first  pastor,  and  there  he  passed  many 
pleasant  and  profitable  years.  His  was  a  busy  life.  He 
worked  on  his  farm  to  support  his  family,  served  four  years 
as  associate  judge  in  his  county,  and  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Black  Hawk  War.  He  was  twice  married.  Few  men  can 
show  more  clean  pages  in  the  "Book  of  Life.'' 

Judge  Charles  J.  Scofield, 

Carthage,  III,  Dec.  25,  1853. 

Grew  up  to  his  fifteenth  year  on  a  farm.  Then  began 
the  classical  course  in  Christian  University,  Canton,  Mo. 
Graduated  with  A.B.  degree  in  1871.  Then  taught  three 
years  in  Carthage  High  School.  Meanwhile,  read  law  and 
was  admitted  to  the  Illinois  bar  in  June,  1875.  Began  at 
once  the  practice  of  law.  In  October  following,  he  v/as 
appointed  master  in  chancery  of  the  circuit  court  of  Han- 
cock County,  which  position  he  filled  for  ten  years.  Mean- 
while, he  was  a  busy  lawyer.  In  June,  1885,  he  was  elected 
one  of  the  judges  in  the  Sixth  Judicial  Circuit,  comprising 
the  counties  of  Adams,  Hancock,  McDonough,  Fulton, 
Brown,  Schuyler  and  Pike.  Re-elected  in  1891,  thus  serving 
on  the  circuit  bench  twelve  years.  He  declined  the  third 
nomination.  In  1893,  Judge  Scofield  was  appointed  by  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  State  one  of  the  judges  of  the  Appel- 
late Court  for  the  Fourth  District  to  fill  an  unexpired  term 
of  one  year.  At  its  close  he  was  reappointed  for  three 
years,  thus  serving  four  years  on  the  Appellate  bench  and 
until  his  service  as  circuit  judge  terminated.  On  the  death 
of  Judge  Scott  in  1909,  Judge  Scofield  was  urged  to  become 
a  candidate  for  the  nomination  to  the  Supreme  Court,  but 
declined  because  of  his  disinclination  to  enter  personally  into 
a  political  contest.  Since  his  retirement  from  the  bench  in 
1897,  his  practice  has  extended  throughout  Illinois  and  into 
other  States.  The  class  of  his  cases  has  made  him,  in  con- 
siderable measure,  a  lawyer's  lawyer. 


600  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Mr.  Scofield  became  a  Christian  at  the  age  of  twelve. 
Coming  to  maturity,  he  found  the  church  at  Carthage  finan- 
cially weak;  hence,  he  began  to  supply  its  pulpit.  This  led 
to  his  becoming  its  pastor,  which  place  he  filled  for  about 
twenty  years.  Such  salary  as  was  paid  him  was  turned  to 
the  work  of  the  church. 

In  every  way  Mr.  Scofield  is  a  man  of  the  highest  type. 
His  power  of  analysis  is  unusually  superior,  and  his  grasp 
of  a  subject  is  masterful.  Preachers  who  hear  him  in  a 
sermon  are  delighted. 

John  W.  Sconce, 

Nicholas  County,  Ky.,  1824.  1910,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Sconce  came  with  his  parents  to  Vermilion  County, 
111.,  in  1830,  and  in  1836  to  Shelby  County.  At  the  age  of 
nine  he  started  to  school.  The  only  book  he  had  was  a  copy 
of  the  New  Testament,  his  parents  being  too  poor  to  buy 
others  for  his  use.  He  was  baptized  by  Bushrod  W.  Henry 
in  1841.  He  began  to  preach  at  the  White  log  schoolhouse, 
Todd's  Point  Township,  in  1849.  The  same  year  he  located 
on  a  farm  six  miles  north  of  Shelby ville.  The  churches  of 
the  county  engaged  him  to  preach  in  destitute  places.  His 
ministry  was  fruitful  and  many  were  turned  to  the  Lord  in 
various  localities.  In  1863  he  moved  to  a  farm  in  Moultrie 
County,  where,  for  ten  years,  he  continued  the  same  kind 
of  work  that  he  had  done  in  Shelby.  His  family  was  sup- 
ported mainly  by  his  farms.  In  1873  he  settled  in  Dalton 
City.  Chiefly  through  his  labors,  a  church  of  Christ  was 
established   there. 

In  1876  he  moved  to  Mt.  Ayr,  la.  In  that  new  country 
he  continued  successfully  his  pioneer  work  as  a  preacher. 
Ten  years  thereafter  he  moved  to  Attica,  Kan.  There  he 
continued  in  the  same  sort  of  work  until  the  infirmities  of 
age  compelled  him  to  give  it  up.  Of  such  as  he  the  Lord 
will  make  up  his  jewels. 

In  such  sacrifices  of  self  have  the  beginnings  of  the  King- 
dom been  laid  through  all  the  centuries. 


BIOGRAPHIES  601 

Andrew  Scott, 

Melrose,  Scotland,  1857. 

Came  to  America  in  1863.  Educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Canada  and  at  Hiram  College.  Established  the  first 
church  of  Christ  at  Portage  la  Prairie,  Man.,  Can.,  in 
1881.  In  Illinois  he  was  the  very  successful  evangehst 
of  the  Sixth  District  for  three  years.  He  has  served  as 
pastor  in  the  churches  at  Normal,  Danville  and  Hoopeston, 
where  he  now  is.  Mr.  Scott's  Scotch  heart  always  beats 
loyal  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 

Charles  L.  Scott. 

On  a  farm  in  Edwards  County,  111.,  1876. 
Was  principal  of  public  schools  in  Grayville.     Elected  to 
the  House  in  the  Legislature  in  1908,  1910  and  1912. 

Dr.  John  Scott. 

Vermont,  1790.  1883,  Prairie  City,  111. 

Was  one  of  the  strong  men  of  his  time — physically,  men- 
tally, morally  and  spiritually.  He  was  a  farmer,  a  school- 
master, a  surveyor,  a  physician  and  a  preacher.  When  about 
eighteen  years  of  age,  he  made  the  trip,  on  board  "The 
Clermont,"  from  New  York  to  Albany.  He  came  into 
Fulton  County  in  1839.  There  he,  with  other  pioneers, 
formed  what  came  to  be  known  as  the  Scott  Settlement.  It 
was  about  five  miles  north  of  the  site  of  Cuba.  He  later 
made  his  home  elsewhere  in  Fulton  County,  and  at  these 
places  had  for  his  neighbors  and  friends  the  families  of 
McBeth,  Bell,  Rigdon.  Oglesby,  Reed,  Markle,  Dr.  Speer, 
Bangman,  Boynton,  Wheeler  and  Levi  T.  Scott.  The  wife 
of  Levi  Scott  was  Mary  Doyle,  whose  family  came  from 
Kentucky  to  Peoria  Countv  in  1835.  For  manv  years  the 
Doyle  family  were  influential  as  Christians  in  that  county. 
For  about  twelve  years  after  coming  to  Fulton  County,  Dr. 
Scott  gave  much  time  to  preaching  in  the  cabins  of  the 
pioneers,  in  log  schoolhouses  and  elsewhere.     On  canvas,  he 


602  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

made  an  outline  of  Solomon's  Temple  and  its  furniture,  by 
which  to  instruct  people  through  eye-gates.  During  this 
period  he  was  associated  with  the  Christian  Denomination. 
In  1851,  Michael  and  Job  Coombs,  brothers  and  mhiisters 
of  the  churches  of  Christ  in  Indiana,  came  that  way. 
Through  their  preaching,  Dr.  Scott  and  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  friends  were  led  to  accept  the  more  apostolic  teach- 
ing. They  were  baptized  on  a  Monday  forenoon  in  the  trans- 
parent waters  of  Lost  Grove  Creek  as  it  ran  its  way  among 
blooming  flowers  and  singing  birds.  In  1855  there  was  a 
considerable  exodus  of  these  people  into  McDonough  County. 
They  located  on  new  farms  near  the  site  of  Bushnell.  Here 
Dr.  Scott  again  took  up  his  faithful  and  loving  ministry  and 
continued  in  it  until  handicapped  by  the  burden  of  years. 
He  was  a  strong  and  true  man,  whose  life  was  full  of  good 
deeds. 

These    facts   were    furnished   by   a   step-grandson,    I.    N. 
Scott,  New  Sharon,  la. 

Walter  Scott 

Was  born  in  Moffat,  Dumfrieshire,  Scotland,  Oct.  31,  1796. 
His  parents  were  people  of  fine  intelligence  and  culture. 
They  were  all  members  of  the  kirk.  He  was  educated  in  the 
University  of  Edinburgh.  When  a  young  man,  on  the  invi- 
tation of  his  uncle,  George  Innes,  he  came  to  New  York. 
For  a  time  he  taught  a  classical  school  on  Long  Island. 
Later,  he  went  to  Pittsburgh.  There  he  soon  made  the 
acquaintance  of  a  fellow-countryman,  Mr.  George  Forrester. 
In  his  home  he  found  a  welcome.  Mr.  Forrester  was  a  min- 
ister of  the  Haldanean  school.  At  that  time  he  was  con- 
ducting a  school  and  also  preaching  to  a  small  membership 
whom  he  had  collected  tosfether.  He  invited  Mr.  Scott  to 
examine  the  Scriptural  claims  of  pedobaptism,  in  which  he 
had  been  trained  up.  He  made  a  faithful  investigation  of  the 
subject.  His  reverence  for  the  authority  of  God's  word  led 
him  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  a  defenseless  relic  of  the 
Papacy  and  wholly  without  divine  warrant.     Hence  he  was 


^  0 


CHARLES  W.  SHERWOOD. 


4 


JOHN  YAGER. 


WALTER  P.   BOWLES. 


THOMAS  GOODMAN. 


BIOGRAPHIES  603 

immersed  by  his  friend,  Mr.  Forrester.  He  at  once  became 
an  earnest  and  persistent  student  of  the  Holy  Scriptures. 
He  opened  a  classical  and  English  high  scnuol,  but  tliese 
duties  he  did  not  permit  to  interfere  with  his  assiduous  and 
systematic  study  of  the  Bible.  It  was  not  long  until,  on  one 
of  Mr.  Campbells  visits  to  Pittsburgh,  he  and  Mr.  Scott 
became  personally  acquainted.  Both  were  men  of  brilliant 
and  admirable  qualities.  They  were  further  attracted  by 
their  mutual  conclusions  on  great  Scriptural  questions.  From 
that  time  they  were  co-operants  in  the  reproclamation  of  the 
gospel  as  it  was  first  preached  by  inspired  men. 

David  Franklin  Seyster. 

Pine  Creek  Township,  Ogle  Co.,  111.,  1858. 
.  Trained  in  country  schools,  high  school  and  Eureka  Col- 
lege. Preached  first  sermon  in  1888  at  La  Claire,  la. ; 
walked  across  Mississippi  River  on  the  ice  to  reach  there. 
Has  served  the  churches  at  Coleta,  Pine  Creek  three  terms, 
Kankakee,  v/here  he  also  preached  Sunday  afternoons  for 
two  years  in  the  State  Hospital  by  appointment  of  its  super- 
intendent, Lynnville,  Mt.  Morris,  Lanark  and  Savanna. 
Everywhere  his  work  has  been  fruitful  in  additions  and 
spiritual  results. 

Cragy  J.  Sharp. 

A  native  Scotchman  who  settled  in  Bureau  County  in 
1848.  A  successful  farmer  and  preacher.  Associated  with 
the  Ross  brothers  in  the  church  near  Ohio.  Fine  Bible 
scholar  and  preached  without  money  compensation  from  one 
to  three  times  every  Sunday  for  years.  He  helped  a  number 
of  young  men  in  securing  their  education  at  Abingdon, 
among  them  G.  T.  Carpenter. 

Charles  IV.  Sherzvood. 

Keepsklll,  N.  Y.,  1830.  1877,  Rockwell,  la. 

Came  to  Whiteside  County,  111.,  in  1842.  There  he  grew 
up  on  a   farm  near  Coleta.     His  parents  were   Methodists 


604         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

and  most  excellent  people.  Charles  resided  in  a  community 
of  Disciples  of  Christ  and  became  a  Christian  only  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one.  At  the  ''social  meetings"  on  the  Lord's 
Day  he  began  to  speak,  which  led  into  the  ministry.  Then 
he  farmed  in  the  summer-time,  mended  shoes  during  the 
winter,  and  preached  on  Sundays  as  he  could  find  oppor- 
tunity. As  he  sat  on  his  bench  a  copy  of  the  Bible  and 
Webster's  Dictionary  lay  open  before  him — so  he  kept  peg- 
ging away.  As  a  preacher  he  was  popular  with  all  classes 
because  he  preached  the  truth  in  love.  He  was  a  fine,  all- 
round  minister  who  traveled  from  place  to  place  with  his 
horse  and  buggy.  His  evangelistic  labors  w-ere  chiefly  in 
northern  Illinois,  where  he  baptized  about  six  thousand  per- 
sons. Editor  B.  W.  Johnson  once  referred  to  him  as  "the 
noble-hearted  Sherwood,  the  Lion  of  the  North." 

W.  J.  Simer. 

Marion  County,  111.,  1849. 

Was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  has  applied  him- 
self diligently  to  reading  and  study  at  home.  Began  to  w^ork 
for  himself  at  the  age  of  seventeen  and  to  speak  in  public 
at  twenty-five.  He  taught  school  and  has  a  good  library. 
Ke  resides  on  his  own  farm,  has  always  been  a  public- 
spirited  citizen,  and  for  over  thirty  years  a  faithful  preacher. 
He  is  a  man  of  fine  common  sense,  sweet  disposition  and 
kindly  impulses,  and  is  popular  among  all  classes  and  ages 
of  people.     His  post-office  is  Kinmundy. 

James  IV.  Simpson. 

Kentucky,  1804.  1861,  Illinois. 

After  his  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  Hathaway,  near  Mt. 
Sterling,  he  came  to  Illinois  in  1835  and  settled  in  Clary's 
Grove,  Menard  County.  There  he  soon  became  the  leading 
man  in  the  church,  and  never  for  one  minute  faltered  in  his 
devotion  to  its  Lest  interests  and  in  his  defense  of  the  primi- 
tive gospel  to  the  day  of  his  death.  As  an  elder  for  years, 
he  conducted  the  public  worship  when  no  preacher  was  pres- 


BIOGRAPHIES  605 

ent,  teaching  and  admonishing  his  brethren  and  continually 
abounding  in  all  good  works.  His  house  was  the  minister's 
home.  He  was  one  of  the  Lord's  great  men.  He  was  the 
father  of  Mrs.  J.  W.  Judy  and  Mrs.  S.  B.  Callaway. 

Jerome  H.  Smart. 

Missouri,  1842.  1913,  Clovis,  N.  M, 

Mr.  Smart  joined  the  Baptist  Church  when  he  was  fifteen 
years  of  age.  He  gave  the  (jovernment  over  four  years  of 
military  service  in  the  Twenty-fourth  Missouri  Volunteer 
Infantry.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  entered  Abingdon 
College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1868.  During  this 
time  he  changed  his  church  affiHation.  The  plain  gospel  over- 
came his  temperamental  Baptist  proclivities.  After  his  grad- 
uation, he  taught  in  a  school  two  years.  Then  he  entered 
the  ministry.  His  work  was  at  Macomb,  Colfax,  Centralia, 
Winchester,  Waukegan  and  Danville  chiefly.  Besides  this, 
he  was  associated  with  the  Christian  Publishing  Company  for 
twelve  years.  Mr.  Smart's  ministry  was  always  safe  and 
constructive. 

H.  H.  Smithson. 

Marion  County,  III,  1843. 

As  soon  as  he  was  able  to  perform  manual  labor,  he 
worked  in  a  mill  until  he  was  of  legal  age,  meanwhile  attend- 
ing the  public  schools  three  months  every  year.  In  1865  he 
moved  to  Fayette  County,  where  he  taught  in  the  public 
schools  and  preached  for  twenty-eight  years.  Thereafter, 
for  a  decade  he  gave  himself  wholly  to  the  ministry.  His 
life  has  been  faithful  and  useful. 

C.  M.  Smithson. 

Fayette  County,  111.,  1877. 

A  son  of  H.  H.  Smithson.  Grew  up  on  a  farm. 
Attended  public  schools  and  Austin  College  in  Effingham. 
Taught  six  years  in  public  schools.  Began  his  ministry  in 
1900.    Served  county  and  village  churches.     Pastor  at  Gray- 


606         HISTORY   OF  THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

ville,  Mt.  Vernon,  Flora  and  St.  Elmo.  Is  now  at  Streator. 
He  is  ambitious  to  be  helpful  beyond  the  local  field  of  his 
labors. 

George  L.  Snively. 

Mr.  Snively  was  born  in  the  same  house  and  immersed 
in  the  same  baptistery  in  Cuba  that  his  father  was.  He 
became  a  Christian  under  the  ministry  of  H.  C.  Littleton. 
Soon  thereafter  Mr.  Littleton  said  to  him :  "How  would  you 
like  to  go  to  school  and  prepare  to  preach  the  gospel?" 

*'Do  you  think  I  could  do  it?" 

*'Yes,"  was  Mr.  Littleton's  assurance. 

Mr.  Snively  attended  school  at  Eureka  and  the  Bible 
College  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  but  he  did  not  graduate.  How- 
ever, by  attendance  at  university  lectures,  correspondence 
courses  and  personal  application,  he  grew  to  be  a  very 
capable  and  efficient  minister. 

For  a  number  of  years  he  was  associated  with  his  father 
in  the  county  clerkship  of  Fulton  County  and  other  lines  of 
business,  which  gave  him  a  good  commercial  training.  Mean- 
while, he  was  preaching  upon  the  Lord's  Days.  After  sev- 
eral successful  pastorates,  he  became  the  first  general 
secretary  of  the  National  Benevolent  Association  of  the 
churches  of  Christ,  in  1901.  The  results  of  his  five  years  of 
service  in  this  capacity  were  exceedingly  gratifying.  Then 
he  was  successfully  associated  with  the  Christian  PubHshing 
Company,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Following  his  earnest  desire,  in  1907  he  became  a  gen- 
eral evangelist.  Here  God  has  used  him  in  turning  thousands 
to  the  Prince  of  peace.  He  has  also  come  to  be  one  of  the 
most  efficient  men  in  the  ''dedication  of  new  churches,"  in 
which  work  he  has  won  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  to 
sacred  uses. 

Mr.  Snively  has  always  been  too  busy  and  earnest,  and 
the  needs  of  the  world  have  been  too  insistent  in  his  con- 
science, to  give  any  time  to  untaught  questions  or  doubtful 
disputations.     He  believes  the  Book  and  preaches  the  truth. 


BIOGRAPHIES  607 

Ellis  J.  Stanley. 

Whiteside  County,  III,  1842. 

Came  to  his  manhood  in  his  native  county.  Took  a  little 
turn  at  military  service  the  last  year  of  the  war  in  the  156th 
Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers.  Attended  Bethany  College. 
Most  of  his  ministerial  work  has  been  done  beyond  Illinois, 
but  here  he  has  served  the  Table  Grove  and  Armington  con- 
gregations and  elsewhere. 

Thomas  B.  Stanley. 

Carroll  County,  111.,  1851.  1912,  Cedar  Rapids,  Ta. 

In  early  hfe,  Mr.  Stanley  dedicated  his  life  to  Christ. 
Besides  his  home  and  his  congregation,  he  was  trained  in 
the  public  schools  and  at  Eureka  College.  He  was  actively 
engaged  in  the  ministry  until  failing  health  interfered.  Then 
his  aim  was  to  constantly  serve  others  as  he  was  able.  He 
worked  with  the  congregations  at  Coleta,  Normal,  Atlanta 
and  elsewhere.  His  ideals  were  high,  his  Hfe's  aim  single 
and  his  fidelity  to  God's  word  unquestioned. 

E.  C.  Stark. 

New  Harmony,  Ind.,  1853. 

This  man  is  a  good  preacher,  with  continuing  experiences. 
He  grew  to  manhood  in  White  County,  111.,  with  such  educa- 
tional advantages  as  the  public  schools  of  the  period  afforded, 
but  all  the  time  since  he  has  read  and  studied.  He  joined 
the  M.  E.  Church  at  sixteen,  but  two  years  thereafter  united 
with  the  church  of  Christ  at  West  Salem,  111.  He  taught 
school  and  preached  in  Edwards  County  for  ten  to  thirteen 
years,  served  four  years  as  evangelist  in  Virginia,  then,  for 
a  period  of  eleven  years,  with  the  churches  at  Fisher,  Farmer 
City,  Delavan,  Champalg-n  and  others  In  that  section.  Went 
to  an  abandoned  farm  in  southern  Illinois  to  solve  the  old- 
asfe  problem.  But  he  is  still  active  and  u'^efnl  as  a  preacher. 
Here  are  a  few  of  his  pick-ups:  He  h^s  found  a  new  church, 
indigenous   to    southern    Illinois,    calling    themselves    "Social 


608  HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

Brethren."  One  of  their  preachers,  in  explaining  to  his  con- 
gregation the  words  of  Jesus,  "Suffer  Uttle  children  to  come 
unto  me,"  said:  "The  Lord  allowed  little  children  to  suffer 
that  they  might  come  unto  him."  Another  one  of  these 
preachers  read  the  words,  "prepare  you  victuals,"  in  Josh. 
1:11,  "prepare  your  vehicles,"  and  explained  it  by  saying, 
"Grease  the  axles,  tighten  the  nuts,  etc."  One  of  the 
accredited  ministers  of  a  strong  church  in  southern  Illinois 
said,  "The  only  Bible  in  the  world  was  hid  in  the  corner- 
stone of  a  temple,"  but  he  did  not  know  what  temple. 
Again,  the  same  preacher,  in  explaining  1  John  1 : 9,  "His 
seed  remaineth  in  him,"  said,  "Jesus  and  John  the  IBaptist 
did  not  marry ;  their  seed  remained  in  them."  In  the  course 
of  a  public  discussion  between  Mr.  Stark  and  Min.  John 
Ralph,  Baptist,  the  latter  said:  "Mr.  Stark  seems  to  think 
that  I  am  an  'ignoramemus.'  "  David  Morse,  a  prominent 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  preacher,  said  in  a  funeral  sermon, 
"Everything  that  lives  shall  live  again  in  human  form." 
Mr.  Stark  is  a  fine  character. 

/.  Carroll  Stark. 

Stow,  O.,  1830.  1908,  McMinnville,  Tenn. 

He  had  the  advantages  of  the  farmer  boys  of  those  days 
and  in  that  section.  To  these  he  added  two  years  in  Hiram 
College.  At  the  age  of  twelve  he  was  baptized  by  Alanson 
Wilcox,  and  to  render  this  act  of  submission  to  his  Master's 
will  he  walked  three  miles  and  returned  before  changing  his 
clothes.  He  was  in  the  work  of  the  ministry  at  twenty. 
Before  coming  to  Illinois,  he  served  churches  in  Ohio,  New 
York,  Indiana,  Missouri,  Iowa,  Minnesota  and  South  Dakota. 
In  this  State  he  served  at  Princeton,  Ohiotown,  Belleplain, 
Antioch  (now  Toluca),  Augusta,  Table  Grove,  Greenville, 
Salem,  Duquoin,  Blandinsville  and  Hamilton.  Besides  this, 
he  evangelized  in  twenty-two  States  and  Provinces.  His 
public  ministry  reached  through  fifty-eigfht  years.  He  held 
many  formal  debates  on  various  subjects  pertaining  to 
religion.    Probably  the  last  of  these  was  in  1903,  on  "Instru- 


BIOGRAPHIES  609 

mental  Music  in  the  Church  of  Christ,"  at  Henderson,  Tenn., 
with  Joe  S.  WaUick.  His  last  pastorate  was  at  Tullahoma, 
Tenn.  Later,  he  moved  to  a  ranch  near  McMinnsville,  and 
preached  almost  every  Sunday  to  the  mountain  people, 
although  he  was  in  his  seventy-ninth  year. 

Mr.  Stark  was  a  brave  and  true  soldier  of  the  great 
Commander.  He  was  passionately  devoted  to  his  Leader, 
and  carried  his  banner  triumphantly  through  the  storm  and 
smoke  of  every  battle.  Sincere  and  frank  as  a  child,  he 
could  have  but  little  patience  with  the  duplicity  of  sectarian 
chiefs.    Yet  his  heart  was  as  tender  as  it  was  true. 

James  Stark. 

Auchtermuchty,  Scotland,  1815.        1892,  Augusta,  111. 

Mr.  Stark  came  to  America  with  his  uncle,  John  Deon, 
in  1835.  Mr.  Deon  was  acquainted  with  Alexander  Camp- 
bell in  Scotland,  and  they  became  his  guests  upon  their 
arrival  at  Bethany.  While  there,  Mr.  Stark  was  baptized 
by  Wm.  Hayden.  Shortly  thereafter,  he  moved  to  Jackson- 
ville, where  he  took  membership  in  the  church  and  was 
associated  in  its  work  with  John  T.  Jones,  D.  P.  Henderson, 
Josephus  Hewitt,  W.  W.  Happy,  Peter  Hedenburg,  Philip 
Cofifman  and  others.  He  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  by 
this  church  in  1837.  Like  nearly  all  of  the  pioneer  preachers, 
he  was  compelled  to  provide  for  the  material  needs  of  him- 
self and  his  family  by  secular  work ;  so  he  engaged  in  a 
general  merchandising  business  there,  and  also  in  Augusta, 
whither  he  moved  in  1842.  His  education  was  obtained  by 
his  own  efforts.  He  was  well  informed  in  the  affairs  of 
church  and  state.  In  the  pulpit  and  on  the  platform  he  was 
a  fluent  and  eloquent  speaker.  In  the  church  he  enjoyed  the 
personal  friendship  of  Mr.  Campbell,  B.  W.  Stone,  James 
Challen  and  O.  A.  Burgess,  and  in  the  State  was  personally 
acquainted  with  Abraham  Lincoln,  S.  A.  Douglas  and  Col. 
E.  D.  Baker.  He  was  a  member  of  the  House  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  in  1846,  and  was  a  Presidential  elector  in 
1860,  casting  his  official  vote  for  Mr.  Lincoln.     In  his  social 

20 


610  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

relations  he  was  affable,  and  as  a  public  speaker  pleasing, 
so  that  he  was  heard  with  enthusiasm  by  public  audiences. 
A  great  man,  with  clear  convictions  of  truth,  right  and  duty, 
he  fought  a  good  fight  and  kept  the  faith. 

James  F.  Stewart, 

Peelar  Station,  Va.,  1847. 

Was  a  mail-carrier,  farmhand,  carpenter  and  lumber 
merchant.  Attended  the  public  schools  and  Eureka  College. 
Gave  Illinois  churches  ten  years  of  upbuilding  work.  lie 
has  a  son  in  Johnson's  Bible  School  preparing  for  the  min- 
istry, which  he  considered  "a.  far  better  place  for  such  work 
than  Chicago." 

Oliver  IV.  Stewart. 

Mercer  County,  III,  1867. 

Grew  up  on  the  farm.  Graduated  from  Woodhull  High 
School  and  from  Eureka  College  in  1890.  Evangelist  in 
Illinois  three  years  and  served  as  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Mackinaw.  Was  a  leader  of  the  Illinois  Christian  Endeavor 
Union.  In  1896  he  became  actively  identified  with  the  Pro- 
hibition party,  and  since  then  he  has  given  himself  almost 
exclusively  to  this  work.  In  1902  he  was  elected  from  the 
Hyde  Park  District  in  Chicago  to  the  State  Legislature, 
where  he  served  with  unusual  efificiency.  Of  one  of  his 
speeches  there,  Senator  L.  Y.  Sherman  said:  "It  was  the 
finest  and  most  eloquent  speech  I  ever  heard  in  an  Illinois 
Assembly."  Mr,  Stewart  is  the  ablest  advocate  of  Prohibi- 
tion principles  who  has  graced  the  rostrum  in  twenty  years. 
He  is  sane  and  sensible,  wise  and  witty,  persuasive  and 
practical.  Plis  frank  fairness,  irresistible  logic  of  facts, 
superior  vocabulary,  fluency  of  utterance  and  fine  presence 
unite  in  making  him  a  most  interesting  and  persuasive  orator. 

At  the  national  convention  of  the  party  at  Indianapolis 
in  1904,  a  circular  on  the  subject  of  the  candidacy  of  Gen. 
Nelson  A.  Miles  was  distributed.  Among  others,  the  names 
of  James  A.  Tate  and  Oliver  W.  Stewart  were  signed.     Both 


BIOGRAPHIES  611 

of  these  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church.  The  Voice, 
which  was  then  controlled  by  John  G.  Woolley,  called  the 
document  a  *'Campbellite"  circular.  It  was  a  gratuitous 
insult.  Seven  years  thereafter,  Mr.  Woolley  ate  his  own 
words  on  Prohibition  in  a  most  shameless  degree  and  thereby 
became  ''the  lost  leader."  No  one  has  found  occasion  to 
question  Mr.  Stewart's  loyalty  to  the  principles  of  the  purest 
patriotism. 

T.  L.  Stipp. 

Illinois,  1848. 

Mr.  Stipp  was  the  son  of  a  Predestinarian  Baptist  min- 
ister and  was  born  in  Vermilion  County,  where  the  larger 
part  of  his  life  has  been  passed.  He  graduated  in  the  law 
class  of  the  University  of  Michigan  in  1871,  but  a  change 
coming  into  his  life-purpose,  he  was  ordained  to  the  work 
of  the  ministry  in  1875.  He  has  served  twenty  Illinois 
churches  and  four  in  Indiana.  His  ministry  has  been 
especially  helpful  to  the  weaker  churches.  Through  all  kinds 
of  adverse  and  disagreeable  conditions  he  has  traveled  on 
horseback  to  keep  his  engagements  with  them  and  very  often 
at  small  financial  compensation.  His  good  business  ability 
led  him  to  buy  Illinois  land  when  the  price  was  low,  and  to 
hold  it.  His  seven  living  children  are  active  members  of 
the  church  of  Christ. 

Barton  W.  Stone. 

Near  Port  Tobacco,  Md.,  1772.  1844,  near  Jackson- 
ville, 111. 

Mr.  Stone's  father  died  when  he  was  a  little  child.  In 
1779  his  mother  moved  with  her  large  family  of  children 
and  servants  to  the  backwOods  of  Virginia,  in  Pittsylvania 
County.  Some  of  his  brothers  were  soldiers  in  the  Army  of 
the  Revolution,  and  the  family  was  otherwise  subjected  to 
the  vicissitudes  of  the  war.  From  childhood,  he  had  a  deep 
hunger  for  knowledge.  He  was  early  sent  to  school  and 
made  unusual  progress.  After  five  years  in  the  country 
school,  his  teacher  pronounced  him  a  finished  scholar.     He 


612         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

soon  decided  to  qualify  himself  for  a  barrister.  In  1790  he 
entered  Guilford  Academy,  in  North  Carolina,  and  deter- 
mined to  acquire  an  education  or  die  in  the  attempt.  There 
he  completed  the  academic  course.  While  there,  in  much 
agony  of  soul,  he  turned  to  the  Lord,  uniting  with  the  Pres- 
byterians. With  it  came  the  desire  to  preach  the  gospel. 
His  special  preparation  for  the  ministry  was  attended  with 
great  anguish  of  mind.  The  Osage  Presbytery  licensed 
him  to  preach  in  1796.  He  was  presented  with  a  Bible,  not 
the  Confession  of  Faith.  Then  he  started  on  a  preaching 
tour  over  the  mountains  that  brought  him,  at  the  close  of 
the  year,  to  Caneridge  and  Concord,  Ky.  With  these 
churches  his  ministry  was  richly  blessed.  In  the  fall  of 
1798  the  Presbytery  of  Transylvania  met  to  ordain  him  to 
the  pastorate  of  the  two  congregations.  He  declined  to  sub- 
scribe unqualifiedly  to  the  Confession  of  Faith,  but  answered, 
"I  do,  as  far  as  I  see  it  consistent  with  the  word  of  God." 
His  study  of  the  Bible  was  with  an  open  mind  and  many 
prayers;  so  within  two  years  he  was  relieved  from  the  per- 
plexity and  distress  in  which  the  labyrinth  of  Calvinism  had 
involved  him.  Henceforth  he  was  a  free  man.  With  the 
turning  of  the  century,  he  caught  the  spirit  of,  and  became 
an  active  participant  in,  that  great  revival  that  marked  the 
beginning  of  a  new  era  in  Christian  teaching  and  life.  Mr. 
Stone  and  his  coadjutors  preached  that  God  loved  the  whole 
world  and  sent  his  Son  to  save  men ;  that  the  gospel  is  the 
means  of  salvation,  but  it  will  never  be  effectual  to  this  end 
until  believed  and  obeyed  by  us.  "Man-made  creeds  we 
threw  overboard  and  took  the  name  'Christian,'  the  name 
given  to  the  disciples  by  divine  appointment  first  at  Antioch." 
"The  sticklers  for  orthodoxy  amongst  us  writhed  under  these 
doctrines,"  says  Mr.  Stone.  "The  sects  were  roused.  The 
Methodists  and  Baptists,  who  had  long  lived  in  peace  and 
harmony  with  the  Presbyterians,  and  with  one  another,  now 
girded  on  their  armor  and  marched  into  the  field  of  con- 
troversy. These  were  times  of  distress.  The  spirit  of 
partyism  soon  expelled  the  spirit  of  love  and  union;  peace 


BIOGRAPHIES  613 

fled  before  discord  and  strife,  and  religion  was  stifled  and 
banished  in  the  unhallowed  struggle  for  pre-eminence."  This 
was  in  1803.  The  next  year,  Mr.  Stone  formally  withdrew 
from  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Thus  the  ship  of  the  com- 
mon, catholic  gospel,  whose  compass  had  been  lost  for  fifteen 
centuries,  was  again  launched  upon  the  wide  sea  of  human 
life.  Mr.  Stone  continued  an  earnest  student  of  the  Scrip- 
tures; so  after  a  time  he  was  immersed,  as  were  many  of 
those  associated  with  him.  'The  churches  and  preachers 
grew  and  were  multiplied."  They  came  gradually  to  appre- 
hend the  application  of  their  principles  to  the  details  of  doc- 
trine and  duty.  Mr.  Stone,  after  his  removal  to  Lexington, 
Ky.,  made  a  trip  to  Meigs  County,  O.,  for  the  purpose  of 
immersing  a  Presbyterian  m.inister  named  William  Caldwell. 
While  there  he  preached,  on  its  invitation,  to  the  Separate 
Baptist  Association  then  assembled  there.  He  says:  "The 
result  was,  that  they  agreed  to  cast  away  their  formularies 
and  creeds,  and  take  the  Bible  alone  for  their  rule  of  faith 
and  practice — to  throw  away  their  name  'Baptist'  and  take 
the  name  'Christian' — and  to  bury  their  association,  and  to 
become  one  with  us  in  the  great  work  of  Christian  union. 
Then  they  marched  up  in  a  band  to  the  stand  where  Mr. 
Stone  was  preaching,  shouting  the  praises  of  God,  and  pro- 
claiming aloud  what  they  had  done.  We  met  them,  and 
embraced  each  other  in  Christian  love,  by  which  the  union 
was  cemented."  Mr.  Stone  says  of  Alexander  Campbell 
when  he  first  came  into  Kentucky:  "I  heard  him  often  in 
public  and  in  private.  I  was  pleased  with  his  manner  and 
matter.  I  saw  no  distinctive  feature  between  the  doctrine 
he  preached  and  that  which  we  had  preached  for  many  years, 
except  on  baptism  for  remission  of  sins.  Even  this  I  had 
once  received  and  taught,  as  before  stated,  but  had  strangely 
let  it  go  from  my  mind,  till  Bro.  Campbell  revived  it  afresh." 
When  Mr.  Stone  moved  to  Georgetown,  Ky.,  he  met  John 
T.  Johnson,  "than  whom  there  is  not  a  better  man.  We 
plainly  saw  that  we  were  on  the  same  foundation,  in  the 
same  spirit  and  preached  the  same  gospel.     We  agreed  to 


614  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

unite  our  energies  to  effect  a  union  between  our  different 
societies.  This  we  easily  effected  in  Kentucky."  Mr.  Stone 
came  to  Morgan  County,  111.,  in  1832,  and  resided  on  his 
farm  four  miles  from  that  place.  Thereafter,  he  preached 
with  great  earnestness. 

He  was  a  finely  educated  man,  speaking  the  French 
language,  reading  the  Hebrew  and  teaching  the  Greek  and 
Latin.  He  was  a  most  successful  teacher,  and  often  turned 
to  this  profession  for  the  support  of  himself  and  family. 

Mr.  Stone  is  justly  entitled  to  far  greater  credit  and 
honor  for  his  work  in  the  Restoration  movement  than  has 
ever  been  given  him.  Like  truly  great  men,  he  was  simple 
and  transparent.  On  one  occasion,  he  entered  the  home  of 
John  T.  Jones  just  as  the  family  was  going  to  dinner.  The 
good  wife,  as  was  the  custom,  began  to  apologize  for  her 
dinner.  Whereupon,  Mr.  Stone  replied:  "Sister,  if  we  are 
Christians,  it  is  good  enough  and  we  ought  to  thank  God 
for  it;  if  we  are  not  Christians,  it  is  too  good  for  us."  At 
another  time,  Charles  W.  Jones,  a  son  of  John  T.,  was  con- 
veying Mr.  Stone  from  the  town  to  his  farm  by  a  conveyance 
drawn  by  one  horse.  He  thought  the  horse  was  being  driven 
too  hard,  and  asked  Charlie  if  he  had  ever  heard  the  horse's 
prayer  to  his  master.  The  driver  answered  he  had  not. 
Then  Mr.  Stone  said:  **On  the  hill  speed  me  not,  down  the 
hill  push  me  not,  on  the  plain  spare  me  not  and  in  the  barn 
forget  me  not." 

When  he  joined  the  innumerable  host  of  just  men  made 
perfect  his  body  was  buried  in  a  locust  grove  on  his  farm. 
When  the  farm  was  sold  it  was  reinterred  in  the  Antioch 
Church   Cemetery  near  by.     Later,   it  was   taken   to   Cane- 

^^^^^'  ^y-  Isaac  Stout, 

Clinton  County,  O.,  1822.  1900,  Pekin,  Til. 

Was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Illinois  in  1827.  The 
family  settled  near  Bloomins^ton,  in  what  came  to  be  known 
as  Stout's  Grove.  His  mother  died  soon  thereafter,  and  his 
father  when  Isaac  was  fifteen.    Then  he  made  his  home  with 


BIOGRAPHIES  615 

an  uncle.  There  he  learned  many  kinds  of  hard  manual 
labor.  In  his  manhood  he  was  a  farmer,  carpenter,  brick- 
mason  and  house-painter.  To  him  belongs  the  credit  of 
inventing  and  patenting  the  first  riding  cultivator.  The  rise 
of  prices  consequent  upon  the  Civil  War  made  their  manu- 
facture unprofitable.  His  education  came  in  the  log  school- 
house  period,  but  both  his  mind  and  heart  were  finely  trained. 

He  was  baptized  by  Min.  James  A.  Lindsey  in  1842  and 
began  at  once  to  speak  in  the  social  meetings  of  the  church. 
A  basket  meeting  had  been  well  announced  for  a  certain 
Sunday  at  the  Antioch  Church,  south  of  Tremont.  A  great 
concourse  of  people  assembled,  but  W.  P.  Bowles,  the  star 
preacher  for  the  occasion,  failed  to  come.  The  elders  assem- 
bled and  with  moral  compulsion  absolutely  impressed  Isaac 
Stout  to  address  the  multitude.  An  elder  announced:  ''Bro. 
Bowles  has  not  come,  so  Bro.  Isaac  Stout  will  talk  to  us  a 
while  and  give  the  invitation."  Mr.  Stout  shook  like  a 
pendant  leaf  in  the  wind.  At  the  invitation  three  persons 
went  forward  to  become  Christians.  Mr.  Stout  sat  down. 
"Take  their  confessions,"  said  the  elder  to  him.  It  was 
announced  that  Bro.  Stout  would  preach  again  in  the  after- 
noon. He  could  eat  but  little  dinner,  but  he  preached.  Then 
four  more  people  turned  to  the  Lord.  Whereupon,  Mr. 
Stout  assuredly  gathered  that  God  had  called  him  to  preach 
the  gospel.  His  ministry  was  mainly  in  Tazewell  County, 
but  evangelistic  work  reached  into  McLean,  Logan  and 
DeWitt.  He  was  a  successful  preacher,  measured  by  the 
best  standards.  He  built  with  his  own  hands  the  chapel  of 
the  Concord  congregation,  from  foundation  to  pulpit.  When 
he  came  to  dedicate  it,  he  spoke  not  one  word  about  his  own 
labor  on  the  building.  In  his  judgment,  far  more  important 
interests  then  demanded  the  attention  of  the  assembly.  He 
was  a  fine  soul  whose  modesty  was  a  measure  of  his  great- 
ness. 

In  1864  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  108th  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  and  was  at  Spanish  Ford  and  the  battle  of 
Mobile. 


616  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Emanuel  Stover. 

Ohio,  1822.  1890,  Illinois. 

Was  an  active  member  of  the  church  at  Lanark  and  help- 
ful to  the  congregations  in  that  part  of  the  State.  He  was 
second  lieutenant  in  Company  B,  Seventy-first  Regiment 
Illinois  \'olunteers.  He  served  two  terms  in  the  House  of 
the  Illinois  General  Assembly.     A  man  of  fine  character. 

/.  O.  Sutherland 

Was  born  in  Alarion  County,  Ind.,  1848.  He  worked  at 
Patoka,  111.,  where  he  began  his  ministry.  He  served  the 
church  at  Sailor  Springs  and  founded  the  churches  at 
Latham,  Riverton,  Dawson  and  Morgansville.  He  is  a 
plain,  sincere  man  and  good  preacher,  whose  thirty  years* 
work  in  the  ministry  has  been  fruitful. 

The  Sweeneys. 

The  Sweeney  family,  the  father  and  four  sons  all  able 
ministers  of  the  primitive  gospel,  was  one  of  the  great 
spiritual  forces  of  the  Restoration  movement.  They  all 
served  for  varying  periods  in  Illinois. 

George  E.  Szueeney. 

Kentucky,  1807.  1899,  Kentucky. 

Was  the  father.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1855.  His  first 
work  was  with  the  Berean  and  Scottville  Churches,  in 
Macoupin  County,  then  at  Barry.  Returning  to  Scottville 
in  1861,  he  evangelized  for  five  years  in  the  counties  of 
Macoupin,  Sangamon,  Alorgan  and  Green.  His  last  pas- 
torate, which  closed  in  the  spring  of  1868,  was  at  Kansas. 

In  his  funeral  discourse  at  the  obsequies  of  Mr.  Sweeney, 
at  Paris,  Ky.,  May  25,  1899,  Pres.  C.  L.  Loos  said:  ''Our 
good  Father  above  gave  to  our  brother  unusual  vigor  of 
body  and  mind  up  to  a  high  degree.  It  was  providentially 
a  munificent  inheritance  from  the  sturdy  Scotch-Irish  stock 
of  his  ancestors ;  his  father  died  one  hundred  years  old. 
Doubtless,   his  thirst   for  knowledge,    his    keen    interest    in 


BIOGRAPHIES  617 

things  worthy  of  a  human  soul,  kept  ahve  his  intellectual 
and  even  his  bodily  vigor.  Some  men  die  in  the  outer, 
because  they  die  in  the  inner,  man;  they  have  lost  the  life 
of  the  soul.     Internal  often  begets  external  decrepitude. 

"And  his  entire  rich  and  strong  life,  devoted  to  the  great- 
est cause  on  earth — the  kingdom  of  God  in  Jesus  Christ. 
For  seventy-one  years  he  was  a  minister  of  the  Word  of  life. 
What  a  record  is  this  in  the  life  of  a  man!  The  first  year 
he  was  a  Baptist  preacher,  a  good  prelude  to  the  seventy 
years  devoted  to  the  mighty  plea  for  the  complete  restoration 
of  apostolic  Christianity." 

Mr.  Sweeney's  wife  was  his  equal  in  native  endowments 
of  mind,  with  which  she  combined  a  very  sweet  and  gracious 
disposition. 

William  G.  Szveeney 

Was  the  oldest  son.  He  did  comparatively  little  work  in 
Illinois.     His  death  occurred  at  Dubuque,  la.,  in  1897. 

George  IV,  Sweeney 

Served  for  a  time  in  Chicago  and  elsewhere  in  Illinois  as 
pastor  and  evangelist,  but  most  of  his  Hfe  has  been  passed 
outside  of  the  State. 

Z.   T.  Szveeney 

Is  the  youngest  of  the  four  sons.  He  and  N.  S.  Haynes 
began  their  work  in  the  ministry  together — in  May,  1868, 
at  Kansas,  111. — except  that  Mr.  Sweeney  had  two  weeks  the 
start,  which  he  has  always  held.  Shortly  thereafter  they 
were  invited  to  conduct  a  meeting  in  a  near-by  schoolhouse 
in  the  country.  They  promised  a  few  evenings'  meetings,  as 
their  joint  stock  of  sermons  would  not  warrant  anything 
farther.  After  the  meeting  the  first  evening,  they  were 
guests  of  a  childless  couple — sincere  and  devout  Christians. 
The  young  preachers  ever  afterward  held  them  in  the  high- 
est esteem  and  even  admiration.  A  chapter  was  read,  prayer 
was  offered  and  the  young  men  were  lighted  to  their  sleep- 


618         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

ing-room  on  the  first  floor.  At  once,  the  chickens,  ducks  and 
geese  under  the  floor  set  up  most  unusual  and  vociferous 
alarms,  as  if  disturbed  by  predatory  varmints.  The  outcries 
soon  subsided,  and  the  theologs,  having  disrobed,  climbed 
upon  chairs  to  get  into  bed — it  was  so  high.  The  jump  into 
the  immense  depths  of  feathers  was  like  a  dive  into  the  crest 
of  an  ocean  wave.  But  they  were  jolly.  Then,  just  as 
Morpheus  waved  her  magic  wand,  a  mouse  scampered  across 
their  breasts,  hitting  Mr.  Sweeney  first.  His  cry  was  dis- 
tressing, but  did  not  bespeak  his  courage ;  for  here  was  the 
embryo  of  that  Z.  T.  Sweeney  who,  in  after  years,  should 
vanquish  any  lion  of  German  rationalism  who  might  uncon- 
sciously devitalize  the  glorious  gospel  of  our  Lord.  He  has 
had  wide  experiences,  is  a  charming  public  speaker  and  is  a 
man  of  large  mould  and  usefulness. 

John  S.  Sweeney. 

Kentucky,  1832.  ^  1908,  Kentucky. 

Mr.  Sweeney  came  to  Illinois  in  1854,  and  began  the 
practice  of  law  at  Greenfield.  He  made  his  home  with 
Judge  Short,  a  prominent  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church  and 
a  leading  citizen  of  the  community.  One  Saturday  evening 
he  invited  Mr.  Sweeney  to  go  with  him  on  the  morrow  to 
hear  his  minister  review  "Campbellism."  That  great  gospel 
advocate  had  made  a  preaching  tour  through  Hlinois  in  1853, 
and  many  of  the  orthodox  pulpits  were  busy  reviewing  his 
teachings  and  protecting  their  flocks  against  the  new  "here- 
sies." In  his  discourse,  the  M.  E.  preacher  affirmed  that  Mr. 
Campbell  had  said  that  he  ''could  take  the  vilest  sinner  into 
the  water  and  bring  him  out  a  saint."  As  was  the  custom, 
opportunity  was  given,  before  the  close  of  the  meeting,  for 
any  one  to  ask  questions ;  whereupon,  Mr.  Sweeney  arose 
and  quietly  asked  where,  in  his  writings,  Mr.  Campbell  had 
ever  made  such  a  statement.  The  preacher,  with  a  glower- 
ing look,  replied:  "Have  you  come  here  to  break  up  my 
meeting?"  Judge  Short  instantly  replied:  "No,  Bro.  Powell; 
it  is  a  fair  question  and  one  that  I  also  would  like  to  have 


BIOGRAPHIES  619 

answered."  The  preacher  promised  to  produce  it  at  another 
time,  and  thus  the  incident  closed.  Immediately  upon  the 
dismission  of  the  congregation,  the  few  Disciples  present 
came  to  Mr.  Sweeney,  and,  learning  from  him  that  he  was 
**of  their  faith  and  order,"  insisted  that  he  answer  the  dis- 
course which  they  had  just  heard.  He  declined,  but  thus 
it  was  that  he  was  turned  from  the  practice  of  the  law  to  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel.  He  was  a  faithful  student  of  the 
Scriptures  and  a  man  of  fine  discrimination,  and  in  him  the 
logical  faculty  was  united  with  a  keen  sense  of  humor.  In 
the  first  year  of  his  ministry,  five  hundred  people  became 
obedient  to  the  faith  under  his  preaching.  Riding  along  one 
day,  he  fell  in  with  a  company  of  people  assembled  at  the 
usual  place  for  baptizing,  on  the  bank  of  Apple  Creek.  The 
Baptist  minister,  a  Mr.  Johnson,  was  assuring  the  people 
that  the  converts  to  be  then  immersed  had  all  "been  born 
again,"  and  had  all  received  the  assurance  of  the  forgiveness 
of  their  sins  at  the  ''mourners'  bench,"  for  which  he  thanked 
God.  Permission  being  granted,  Mr.  Sweeney  said:  "I 
would  like  to  ask  if  Baptist  converts  are  all  'born  of  water* 
on  dry  land?"  Mr.  Johnson  repHed:  "Sir,  you  are  a  Camp- 
bellite,  and  desire  to  disturb  our  meeting." 

A  meeting  of  the  ministers  was  convened  in  Springfield 
in  the  later  fifties  with  the  purpose  of  "disciplining"  one  of 
their  number.  This  action  Air.  Sweeney  earnestly  opposed, 
contending  that  it  was  contrary  to  the  congregational  inde- 
pendence of  the  New  Testament,  and  as  forming  a  possible 
precedent  that  would  result  in  evil.  In  such  cases,  the 
preacher  is  responsible  to  the  local  church  in  which  he  holds 
membership. 

Probably  the  most  eminent  service  ever  rendered  the  Dis- 
ciples in  Illinois  by  Mr.  Sweeney  was  in  his  course  toward 
the  Russell  defection.  Walter  Scott  Russell  was  a  graduate 
of  Bethany  College.  Shortly  thereafter,  he  became  an 
extreme  and  pronounced  mystic.  Associated  with  him  were 
some  of  our  leading  preachers  in  the  State,  who  became  open 
advocates  of  this  doctrine.    Among  these  were  T.  J.  Melish; 


620  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Frank  Apperson,  a  brilliant  young  Englishman ;  F.  N.  Car- 
man, publisher  of  the  Christian  Sentinel,  the  only  paper  of 
the  Disciples  in  the  State  at  that  time,  which  indorsed  the 
articles  and  addresses  of  Mr.  Russell ;  W.  W.  Happy,  an 
able  and  veteran  preacher,  who  was  then  president  of  the 
State  Missionary  Society,  while  vSamuel  Callaway  was  its 
treasurer,  and  Prof.  P.  Lucas,  of  Berean,  was  its  secretary. 
All  of  these  men  were  in  full  accord  with  the  views  of  Mr. 
Russell.  These  men  thought  to  reform  the  Restoration 
movement  on  the  basis  of  this  inner-light  theory.  The  State 
Missionary  Convention  met  in  Bloomington,  September, 
1858.  The  new  doctrine  was  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  all. 
It  was  the  general  feeling  that  a  real  crisis  was  at  hand.  On 
the  evening  of  the  second  day  of  the  meeting,  Mr.  Sweeney 
was  to  preach.  Not  one  person  knew  anything  of  his  attitude 
toward  the  new  teaching.  Intense  anxiety  pervaded  the 
great  assembly  of  the  saints.  Air.  Sweeney  chose  for  his. 
text,  John  16:13,  14,  and  unfolded  it  into  a  most  masterful 
sermon.  It  was  a  pivotal  discourse  that  was  to  make  or 
unmake  myriads,  and  he  rose  fully  to  the  occasion.  The 
peculiar  teachings  of  Mr.  Russell  were  clearly  shown  to  be 
contrary  to  the  Scriptures  and  enlightened  human  reason. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  its  end.  The  new  movement  was 
put  upon  a  course  of  rapid  and  ultimate  extinction.  Mr. 
Russell  died.  Professor  Lucas  went  to  the  law ;  Messrs. 
Carman,  Callaway  and  Happy  to  the  Baptists,  but  later  the 
last  named  returned  to  the  Disciples.  Mr.  MeHsh  went  to 
the  Baptists  and  later  to  the  Episcopalians.  Berean  College 
went  to  ruin.  And  in  later  years  the  breach  in  the  Jackson- 
ville Church  was  wholly  healed. 

Mr.    Sweeney   was   a   participant    in     about     seventy-five 
public  discussions,  generally  against  his  inclination. 

Frank  Talmage. 

Pennsylvania,   1874. 

Mr.  Talmage  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Phila- 
delphia, his  birthplace ;  in  the  seminary  at  Pennington,  N.  J., 


BIOGRAPHIES  621 

and  Dickinson  College  at  Carlisle,  Pa.  He  was  a  minister 
in  the  M.  E.  Church,  and  after  one  year's  service  in  Perry 
County, .Pa.,  was  sent  by  Bishop  Kingsley  to  Missouri  in 
1866.  This  was  because  the  ministers  of  the  M.  E.  Church 
North  were  scarce  in  Missouri  at  that  time,  and  many  of 
those  in  the  M.  E.  Church  South  were  unable  to  take  the 
''ironclad  oath,"  thus  leaving  Methodist  churches  in  Missouri 
in  bad  condition. 

In  July,  1867,  Mr.  Talmage  left  the  M.  E.  Church  and 
became  a  Christian  only.  Since  then  he  has  continued  his 
ministry  among  the  Disciples.  He  came  to  the  pastorate 
of  the  Marine  Church,  in  Madison  County,  111.,  in  1872. 
His  useful  ministry  in  that  and  St.  Clair  County  reached 
through  several  years.  At  times  he  was  associated  with  John 
Ellis,  the  veteran  preacher.  When  conducting  a  meeting 
with  the  Fairview  Church,  Mr.  Talmage  baptized  the  con- 
verts in  a  near-by  stream.  Some  mischievous  boys  of  the 
neighborhood  would  come  to  the  place  and  climb  out  on  a 
limb  of  a  tree  near  the  pool  and  make  remarks  about  the 
baptizings.  Brethren  were  indignant  and  wished  to  have  the 
boys  arrested,  but  the  preacher  dissuaded  them.  The  next 
day,  during  the  ceremony,  one  venturesome  boy  got  out  on 
the  extreme  end  of  the  limb  and  yelled  out,  as  a  candidate 
v/as  baptized,  "Dip  him  again !"  At  that  moment  the  over- 
hanging limb  broke  and  the  boy  fell  into  the  water  and  dis- 
appeared. Serious  as  was  the  occasion,  the  crowd  laughed 
outright  as  the  minister  fished  that  mischievous  boy  out  of 
the  water.  This  incident  ended  all  that  trouble.  Among 
the  converts  at  the  Fairview  Church  were  Jonas  Tontz  and 
wife.  Mr.  Tontz  was  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature  in 
1872.  Mr.  Talmage  left  Illinois  after  a  few  years.  He  is 
now  preaching  at  Roswell,  N.  M. 

George  W.  Tate. 

Decatur  County,  Ind.,  1841.         1905,  West  Salem,  111. 
Grew  up  on  the   farm.     Received  his  mental  training  in 
the  public  schools,  in   Normal   School   at   Kokomo   and  the 


622  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Seminary  at  Peru.  Taught  school  for  several  years. 
Entered  ministry  in  1873.  He  was  a  gospel  preacher  of  the 
best  type.  A  successful  evangelist,  pastor,  public  debater  and 
church-builder.  He  was  interested  in  the  cause  of  Christ  at 
home  and  abroad,  and  always  co-operated  in  every  good 
w^ork. 

Dr.  G.  IV.  Taylor. 

Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.,  1815.         1913,  Princeton,  111. 

At  the  age  of  twelve  years,  Mr.  Taylor  left  his  parental 
home  in  Oneida  County  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world. 
He  then  had  only  twenty-five  cents  in  money  and  but  little 
education.  In  1840  he  united  with  the  Congregational 
Church,  but  later  left  it  and  united  with  the  JM.  E.  Church. 
About  1851  he  visited  a  brother  whose  home  was  near 
Buffalo.  While  there,  he  heard  a  Christian  preacher,  where- 
upon he  declared  that  he  had  heard  "the  first  gospel  ser- 
mons." At  once  he  and  his  wife  accepted  the  common 
truth.  He  came  to  Princeton,  III,  in  1853.  His  profession 
was  the  practice  of  medicine,  but  when  he  was  about  fifty 
years  of  age  he  was  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
in  which  he  did  excellent  service.  The  church  at  Humboldt, 
Kan.,  is  a  product  of  his  work.  Dr.  Taylor  was  always 
actively  identified  with  all  of  the  co-operative  missionary 
work  of  the  church. 

Knox  P.  Taylor. 

Logan  County,  Ky.,  1835.  1812,  Bloomington.  111. 

Came  to  Illinois  in  1851,  and  the  years  of  his  virile  man- 
hood were  lived  chiefly  in  this  State.  From  1881  to  1904, 
he  devoted  his  strength  to  our  Bible-school  work.  He  went 
up  and  down  the  State,  in  its  highways  and  into  its  byways, 
with  maps,  charts,  pictures  and  blackboards.  He  taught  the 
word  of  the  Lord ;  he  emphasized  the  value  of  Sunday-school 
work,  urged  better  methods  and  higher  efficiency.  He  did 
more  to  help  the  Disciples  in  this  State  to  appreciate  the 
value  of  Bible-school  teaching  than  any  other  man  who  has 
served  herein. 


BIOGRAPHIES  623 

Mr.  Taylor  was  an  humble  man  of  gentle  spirit,  kindly 
impulses  and  helpful  purpose.  He  was  the  embodiment  of 
sincerity  and  simplicity.  The  professional  and  perfunctory 
awakened  in  him  feelings  of  aversion.  He  was  a  great 
teacher  of  the  Scriptures.  By  him,  people  were  instructed 
in  Biblical  geography,  chronology  and  history,  and  in  great 
spiritual  truths  as  well. 

The  men  and  women  of  active  age  in  nearly  all  of  our 
Illinois  churches  need  now  to  learn  what  this  prophet  of  God 
was  trying  to  teach  them  forty  years  ago.  The  value  of  the 
Bible-school  work  is  not  yet  understood  nor  its  importance 
appreciated  in  this  year  of  grace. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  wholly  devoted  to  his  Master's  service. 
He  is  held  in  loving  and  grateful  remembrance  by  thousands 
of  Illinois  Disciples  with  whom  he  lived  and  for  whom  he 
labored.    Great  is  his  reward  in  heaven. 

Harry  Robert  Trickett. 

Nottinghamshire,  England,  1840.        1909,  Keokuk,  la. 

Came  to  America  in  1852.  In  his  young  manhood  he 
returned  to  England,  where  he  finished  his  education  in 
King's  College,  London.  He  was  educated  for  the  law,  but 
soon  decided  for  the  ministry.  After  his  return  to  the 
United  States,  he  bought  a  farm  in  Montebello  Township, 
Hancock  County,  which  was  his  home  to  the  close  of  his 
life.  However,  he  held  pastorates  in  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Mis- 
souri. Besides,  he  did  much  effective  evangelistic  work.  Mr. 
Trickett  was  a  great  preacher.  Judge  C.  J.  Scofield  says: 
"I  have  heard  him  preach  sermons  as  able  as  the  best  I  have 
ever  heard  from  the  pulpit."  He  took  a  deep  interest  in  the 
living  questions  of  the  day,  sometim.es  made  political 
speeches,  was  a  brilliant  conversationalist  and  a  fine  writer. 
His  contributions  to  relig-ious  papers  always  attracted  atten- 
tion because  of  their  vigorous  thought  and  superior  diction. 
In  the  closing  years  of  his  life  it  was  his  custom  to  write  a 
Christmas  sermon  for  the  Nauvoo  Independent.  The  closing 
words  of  his  last  sermon  were  the  following:  "In  all  proba- 


624  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

bility,  this  is  the  last  Christmas  sermon  I  shall  write  you. 
Accept  as  my  Christmas  gift.  It  is  all  I  have  to  give,  you 
know.  There  will  be  no  Christmas  festivities  for  me.  I 
am  old  and  feeble  and  lonely,  but  my  heart  goes  out  to  you 
in  good  wishes.  I  am  very  thankful  for  the  warmth  and 
shelter  of  the  hospital,  and,  while  I  think  and  hope  that  God 
may  give  me  strength  and  health  again,  yet  I  do  not  know, 
nor  do  I  care  overmuch.  It  is  well,  no  matter  what  happens. 
Living  or  dying,  I  have  partaken  of  the  Christmas  melodies. 
I  see  beyond  the  shadow  of  the  cross,  and  have  passed  into 
the  garden  of  Joseph  of  Arithmathea,  and  am  standing 
among  the  white  lilies  of  the  resurrection.  I  see  that  the 
risen  Lord  and  the  Babe  of  Bethlehem  are  one,  and  I  cry 
in  the  words  of  the  grand  old  chant,  'O  Lamb  of  God, 
who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world,  have  mercy  on  me. 
Amen  and  amen.' " 

Harvey  M.  Trimble,  of  Princeton,  III., 

Was  born  near  Wilmington,  O.,  Jan.  27,  1842.  Mr.  Trim- 
ble's parents  were  sturdy  members  of  the  Restoration  move- 
ment. The  family  came  to  Princeton  in  1843.  He  attended 
the  public  schools  and  Eureka  College.  He  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  Company  K,  Ninety-third  Regiment  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry.  Was  elected  sergeant-major,  and  later  was 
commissioned  first  lieutenant  and  adjutant  of  the  regiment. 
He  was  in  the  battles  of  Champion  Hill,  campaign  and  siege 
of  Vicksburg — being  under  fire  almost  every  day — Mis- 
sionary Ridge,  Allatoona,  Savannah,  and  not  a  few  skir- 
mishes. He  was  on  the  march  to  the  sea  and  campaign  of 
the  Carolinas,  was  present  at  the  surrender  of  Gen.  J.  E. 
Johnston,  and  then  to  the  grand  review  at  the  capital  of  the 
nation.  Mr.  Trimble  did  not  miss  a  battle  in  which  his 
regiment  was  engaged,  the  casualties  of  which  were  418  out 
of  718  men  who  were  engaged  in  action.  For  fourteen  days 
he  was  a  prisoner  of  war,  coming  to  his  release  on  his 
twenty-first  birthday.  Quite  naturally,  therefore,  since  its 
beginning  he  has  been  actively  associated   with  the   Grand 


BIOGRAPHIES  625 

Army  of  the  Republic.  He  was  elected  its  commander-in- 
chief  in  1911. 

Returning  to  Princeton,  he  studied  law  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  He  served  as  deputy  clerk,  and  master  in 
chancery  of  the  circuit  court  in  Bureau  County.  He  was 
county  judge  for  more  than  fifteen  years,  and  circuit  judge 
in  the  Thirteenth  Judicial  Circuit  six  years.  The  whole 
length  of  his  service  on  the  bench  was  twenty-one  years  and 
six  months.  Probably  no  man  who  has  served  the  people 
as  a  judge  in  Illinois  has  had  fewer  of  his  decisions  reversed 
by  the  higher  courts. 

He  has  also  been  a  useful  officer  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion in  his  home  city,  and  of  the  township  high  school,  which 
was  the  first  of  its  kind  in  the  State,  and  of  the  Public 
Library  Board. 

Mr.  Trimble  is  an  elder  of  the  Princeton  Church  and  an 
interesting  gentleman  whom  it  is  a  pleasure  to  meet. 

Maurice  R.  Trimble 

Was  a  pioneer  preacher  of  Knox  County,  Ind.  He  owned 
a  farm,  on  which  he  resided,  ten  miles  north  of  Vincennes. 
But  much  of  his  work  was  done  in  Illinois.  Indeed,  he  was 
the  Nestor  of  the  Restoration  movement  from  Hutsonville 
to  Golconda.  His  home  was  at  the  former  place  for  a  time. 
His  courageous  and  devoted  labors  laid  the  foundation  for 
many  congregations  in  that  section.  In  the  forties,  there 
were  bands  of  outlaws  that  overran  several  counties  in 
southern  Illinois.  An  organization,  styling  themselves  "Reg- 
ulators," was  formed  to  crush  them.  These  soon  became  as 
lawless  as  the  outlaws.  Civil  anarchy  was  rampant.  Mr. 
Trimble  continued  his  ministry  in  the  midst  of  the  violent 
disturbances,  publicly  denouncing  the  wrong-doers.  On  one 
occasion  he  was  baptizing  some  converts  in  the  Ohio  River, 
when  some  of  the  outlaws  made  a  murderous  attack  upon 
him.  Mr.  Trimble  defended  his  life  by  resisting  the  assault 
to  the  utmost.  When  the  encounter  was  over,  two  of  the 
outlaws  were  wounded  and  one  of  them  was  not.     Gradually 


6Z6  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

the  civil  disturbance  wore  itself  out  and  society  returned  to 
its  normal  conditions.  Through  it  all,  Mr.  Trimble  preached 
the  gospel  of  salvation  and  peace. 

William  C.  Trimble. 

Antioch,  O.,  1830.  1913,  Princeton,  111. 

Mr.  Trimble  united  with  the  church  of  Christ  in  1842, 
at  the  village  of  Antioch,  near  his  birthplace,  under  the 
preaching  of  Walter  Scott.  This  fact  places  him  among  the 
beginners.     He  came  to  Bureau  County,  111.,  in  the   fall  of 

1843,  and  was  associated  with  the  church  in  Princeton  since 

1844,  which  church  he  served  for  more  than  forty  years  as 
an  elder.  He  was  a  faithful  preacher  and  evangelist,  and 
was  instrumental  in  bringing  into  the  church  about  one 
thousand  people,  who  were  instructed  in  the  gospel.  His 
ministry  was  wholly  devoid  of  a  stipulated  financial  compen- 
sation. For  a  period,  he  was  noted  for  his  controversies  in 
Christian  papers  upon  some  things  that  he  thought  to  be 
innovations — a  going  back  to  Babylon  rather  than  a  restora- 
tion of  the  apostolic  church.  Among  these  was  the  popular 
conception  of  **the  one-man  pastorate  in  our  churches."  He, 
with  others,  held  that  it  was  not  warranted  by  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  that  one  minister  should  not  be  expected  to  do  the 
work  of  the  eldership  and  of  the  evangelists.  This  conten- 
tion was  summarized  in  the  Christian  Standard  by  Isaac 
Errett,  its  editor,  in  April,  1885,  as  follows: 

Let  it  be  understood  that  in  the  imperfect  condition  of  most  of 
our  churches  the  employment  of  one  man  as  a  teacher  and  preacher 
and  a  co-operator  with  the  elders  in  ruling,  is  justifiable  as  a  necessity, 
but  is  not  accepted  as  a  finality.  It  should  be  the  aim  and  ambition  of 
all  churches  to  reach  a  more  complete  organization  of  forces  such  as 
the  Scriptures  contemplate ;  namely,  a  plurality  of  elders  or  bishops 
whose  business  it  shall  be  to  teach,  preach  and  rule,  dividing  the  labor 
among  themselves  as  may  best  sustain  the  interest  of  the  church,  and 
compensated  for  the  time  given  to  their  duties,  and  also  according 
to  their  necessities.  Such  an  eldership  we  have  seldom  had  in  any  of 
our  churches. 

Mr.  Trimble  was  hopeful  that  the  Scriptural  ideals  might 


BIOGRAPHIES  627 

be  realized,  and  was  encouraged  by  the  distinct  tendency  of 
these  later  days.  "We  can  never  have  a  most  efficient  min- 
istry without  an  efficient  officiary." 

Allen  Harvey  Trowbridge. 

Salem,  Ind.,  1826.  1902,  Rutland,  111. 

Mr.  Trowbridge  became  a  Christian  at  the  age  of  fifteen. 

Shortly  after  his  marriage  in  1851,  he  started,  in  a 
movers'  wagon,  across  the  wild  prairies  to  the  new  home  in 
Marshall  County,  111.  It  was  a  little  cottage  on  the  unbroken 
sea  of  grass  about  five  miles  from  Pattensburg,  now  Belle- 
plain. 

In  his  early  ministry  he  did  an  extensive  missionary 
work,  preaching  the  gospel,  as  opportunity  offered,  in  barns, 
dwellings,  groves  and  schoolhouses.  This  work  laid  the 
foundation  for  a  goodly  number  of  churches.  He  was  asso- 
ciated with  the  three  brothers — Washington,  Jefferson  and 
John  Houston — formerly  so  well  known  in  Livingstone 
County,  where  they  lived,  labored,  sang  and  preached  for 
many  years.  The  churches  at  Toluca,  Rutland,  Ancona, 
Minonk,  Saunemin,  Dana,  Flanagan  and  Washburn  are 
much  indebted  to  him.  In  his  earlier  ministry  he  traveled 
and  served  churches  within  a  radius  of  fifty  miles  of  his 
home. 

Mr.  Trowbridge  was  a  good  business  man,  as  well  as  an 
excellent  minister.  He  gave  liberally  to  missions  and  all 
good  works.  He  was  one  of  the  early  friends  of  Eureka 
College,  and  gave  time  and  means  for  its  support.  His  four 
children  were  educated  there. 

He  was  a  broad-minded  man,  companionable  in  dispo- 
sition, diligent  in  business,  fervent  in  spirit,  and  always  seek- 
ing first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness. 

John  IV.  Tyler. 

Fayette  County,  Ky.,  1808.      1888,  Macon  County,  111. 
Mr.   Tyler's   genealogy   is   traced  to   the   same   line    from 
which  came  the  tenth  President  of  the  United  States.     He 


628  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

united  with  the  Cane  Run  Baptist  Church,  near  Lexington, 
ill  1834,  and  soon  entered  actively  the  ministry. 

In  the  fall  of  1834  he  moved  to  Montgomery  County, 
Ind.,  and  shortly  organized  there  a  congregation  of  believers 
under  the  name  of  the  ''United  Baptist  Church  of  Christ." 
This  name  suggests  the  convictions  of  Christian  truth  and 
the  tendencies  of  Christian  feeling  that  were  beginning  to 
manifest  themselves  in  many  places  about  that  time.  The 
following  year  he  came  to  Morgan  County,  111.,  where  he 
met  the  great  revivalist  and  reformer,  Barton  W.  Stone.  In 
1836,  Mr.  Tyler  came  to  Macon  County,  where  he  bought 
and  settled  on  a  farm  five  miles  east  of  the  village  of 
Decatur.  By  the  force  of  his  character,  he  soon  became  an 
influential  and  leading  citizen.  He  was  an  intelligent  and 
successful  farmer,  and  accumulated  property,  but  at  the 
same  time  devoted  himself  with  zeal  and  energy  to  the  public 
proclamation  of  the  gospel.  His  labors  were  extended  into 
the  counties  of  Shelby,  Christian,  Sangamon,  Logan,  DeWitt 
and  Piatt.  He  was  influential  in  establishing  numerous 
churches  and  chiefly  at  his  own  charges.  His  ministry  con- 
tinued through  a  period  of  fifty-two  years.  He  conducted 
the  funeral  of  the  magnificent  pioneer,  Joseph  Hostetler,  at 
Lovington,  in  1870,  and  in  his  address  said:  'T  am  indebted 
to  Bro.  Hostetler  for  my  better  understanding  of  the  gospel." 

Through  a  long  residence  in  Macon  County,  he  com- 
manded the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens  and 
the  love  and  fellowship  of  his  brethren.  He  was  a  farmer, 
schoolmaster,  justice  of  the  peace  and  minister.  He  was  a 
genial  and  cheerful  man  of  optimistic  temperament.  After 
his  removal  to  Decatur,  he  had  the  misfortune  to  fall  and 
break  one  of  his  limbs  at  the  hip  joint.  A  friend  called  dur- 
ing his  long  and  painful  confinement  to  inquire  about  his 
condition.  He  replied  that  he  was  doing  pretty  well,  but 
that  Dr.  McMillen  had  him  nailed  up  in  a  lumber-yard  just 
then,  but  he  would  be  all  right  when  he  got  out  of  that! 
In  midsummer  of  his  eightieth  year  he  received  a  kick  upon 
his  head  from  a  horse  that  brought  his  beautiful  Hfe  to  a 


BIOGRAPHIES  629 

tragic  close.     He  was  the  father  of  the  brothers,  B.  B.  and 

J'     '     y     '  J.  J.  Vanhoutin 

Is  a  native  of  Edgar  County,  111.,  and  has  resided  there  all 
his  life — since  1842.  He  attended  the  common  country 
school  in  winter  and  worked  on  his  father's  farm  through 
summer.  In  1861  he  entered  the  military  service  in  Com- 
pany H,  First  Missouri  Engineers,  where  he  continued  for 
three  years  and  two  months.  He  entered  the  ministry  in 
1868.  Since  then  he  has  served  constantly.  His  work  has 
been  done  chiefly  in  Edgar  and  twenty-seven  near-by  counties 
in  Illinois  and  Indiana — mostly  in  rural  congregations  and 
new  fields  and  gospel-destitute  places.  He  has  preached  in 
private  residences,  sheds,  halls,  groves  and  schoolhouses. 
From  the  schoolhouses  the  preachers  are  now  debarred  by  a 
wrong  notion.  For  years,  Mr.  Vanhoutin  has  read  from 
memory  the  Scriptures  to  the  public  assembly.  His  ministry 
has  been  modest,  self-sacrificing,  useful  and  fruitful  of  much 

^       '  H.   G.   Van  Dervoort. 

Lafayette,  Ind.,  1846. 

Was  brought  to  McLean  County,  111.,  in  1849.  His  early 
life  was  spent  on  the  farm.  He  attended  the  public  schools, 
developed  a  hunger  for  the  knowledge  of  good  things  and 
has  kept  company  with  many  books.  In  1864  he  took  a  turn 
at  military  service  in  Company  B,  150th  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry.  In  1867  he  entered  the  ministry,  and  during  the 
next  eighteen  years  preached  for  most  of  the  Christian  con- 
gregations— often  two  or  three  at  a  time — in  McLean  County 
outside  of  Bloomington.  He  served  Stanford  five  years. 
Besides  one  short  period  in  Missouri  and  Kansas  each,  he 
has  worked  for  churches  in  Adams,  Green,  Hancock  and 
Morgan  Counties.  Then  he  has  done  not  a  little  evangelistic 
work.  During  the  forty-three  years  of  his  continuous  min- 
istry, he  took  only  one  month  for  a  vacation.  In  Mr.  Van 
Dervoort  the  finer  elements  of  Christian  manhood  are  united. 
The  results  of  his  ministerial  work  are  of  the  best. 


630  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Dr,  Samuel  Van  Meter, 

Grayson  County,  Ky.,  1824.  1902,  Charleston,  III 

At  fifteen,  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  tanner,  but  bought  his 
time.  In  1844  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr. 
T.  B.  Trower.  In  1849  he  went  to  Cahfornia,  practicing  his 
profession  on  the  way.  Returning,  he  settled  in  Charleston. 
In  1857,  with  Dr.  H.  R.  Aller,  he  established  an  infirmary 
there  which  was  very  successful.  For  a  period  of  forty 
years  he  was  as  well  known  as  any  man  in  that  part  of  the 
State.  He  was  a  devout  Christian  and  an  efficient  elder  of 
the  Charleston  Church.  During  the  pastorate  of  F.  W. 
Burnham,  Dr.  Van  Meter  frequently  voiced  the  opening 
prayer  at  the  Sunday  morning  worship.  These  were  always 
childlike  in  faith  and  simplicity,  but  beautiful  and  impressive. 

Samuel  Vaughn. 

Lincoln  County,  Ky.,  1836. 

Came  with  his  father's  family  to  Bond  County  in  the  fall 
of  1839.  Settled  on  a  farm  near  Woburn,  which  is  his  pres- 
ent home.  Received  such  education  as  the  period  and 
community  afforded.  Served  the  Woburn  Church  as  Bible- 
school  superintendent  and  as  an  elder,  each  for  thirty-five 
years.  Is  still  well  and  active,  a  teacher  in  Bible  school.  He 
has  seldom  missed  a  Sunday  from  church  in  forty  years. 
Has  served  as  county  commissioner,  and  in  1900  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Legislature.  He  became  a  Christian  at  the  age 
of  twenty-three  and  a  charter  member  of  the  Woburn 
Church. 

John  Garland  Waggoner, 

Moultrie  County,  HI.,   1844. 

Mr.  Waggoner's  parents  both  died  when  he  was  a  little 
child,  so  he  grew  to  manhood  in  the  home  of  Mr.  A.  H. 
Edwards,  whose  wife  was  his  father's  sister.  Its  ideals  and 
influerxes  were  most  helpful  to  the  boy,  and  in  1859  he  was 
baptized  by  Bushrod  W.  Henry  and  then  decided  to  give  his 
life  to  the  ministry.     He  taught  schools  and  supplied  pulpits, 


JOHN  G.  WAGGONER. 


DANIEL  R.  HOWE. 


f  t 


DANIEL  W.  ELLEDGE. 


DR.  JOHN  SCOTT. 


BIOGRAPHIES  631 

thus  working  his  way  through  college,  graduating  from 
Eureka  in  1872.  Thereafter,  he  was  pastor  in  Illinois  at 
Harristown,  Shelbyville,  Eureka  for  two  terms — added  mak- 
ing eleven  years — Princeton,  Canton  and  Lanark.  He  served 
as  field  secretary  of  Eureka  College  for  five  years,  inducing 
not  a  few  students  to  come  to  the  school,  and  turned  toward 
its  support  about  $80,000. 

Mr.  Waggoner  is  a  superior  type  of  Christian  minister. 
He  has  never  made  any  claims  to  "smartness,"  but  he  is  an 
unassuming,  sincere  and  faithful  preacher  of  the  gospel.  His 
spiritual  vision  is  wide,  compassing  all  the  interests  of  the 
kmgdom  of  God.  He  is  patient,  gentle,  sincere  and  truer 
than  steel  to  the  Christian  truth  and  personal  duty.  Will- 
ingly and  cheerfully  he  goes  out  of  his  way  to  do  any  one 
a  favor  or  kindness.  Mrs.  Susie  ^I.  Minges,  who  has  served 
well  as  a  missionary  in  Cuba,  is  his  daughter.  William  H. 
and  Harvey  G.  Waggoner,  both  consecrated  ministers,  are 
his  sons. 

When  Mr.  Waggoner  was  a  young  man,  he  was  "work- 
ing the  roads"  one  day  in  Moultrie  County.  At  that  time, 
Evangelist  S.  M.  Connor  was  conducting  a  series  of  meet- 
ings with  the  Whitley  Creek  Church.  Becoming  quite  ill, 
and  hence  unable  to  preach  one  evening,  one  of  the  leading 
members  of  the  congregation  handed  Mr.  Waggoner  fifty 
cents,  saying  to  him :  *'Go  home  and  get  ready  to  preach 
to-night."  This  was  his  first  financial  compensation  for 
preaching. 

Lorenzo  D.   Waldo. 

Batavia,  N.  Y.,  1819.  1888,  Rockford,  111. 

Educated  in  the  public  schools  and  by  the  light  of  his  own 
farm  fireside.  Grew  into  the  eldership  and  an  earnest  min- 
istry. For  twenty-five  years  he  preached  up  and  down  the 
Rock  River,  fifteen  of  which  were  given  to  the  Rockford 
Church.  A  dozen  counties  in  northern  Illinois  and  southern 
Wisconsin  were  blessed  by  his  consecrated  life.  He  was 
greatly  loved  by  many  for  his  fine  character  and  work. 


6Z2  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Thomas  S.  Wall. 

Illinois,  1848.  1884,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Wall  was  a  consecrated  preacher  who  did  much  hard 
work,  as  pastor  and  evangelist,  in  Cumberland,  Clay,  Jasper, 
Marion  and  Wayne  Counties. 

W.  W.  Weedon. 

Columbiana  County,  O.,  1846. 

Came  to  Illinois  in  1860.  Settled  in  Wayne  County. 
Attended  common  and  high  schools.  Farmed  and  taught 
school  there  till  1878,  except  one  year  given  to  military 
service  in  the  Eighth  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 
Entering  the  Christian  ministry  in  1878,  he  has  served  as 
pastor  the  churches  at  Brownstown,  Edinburg  and  South 
Fork,  near  by;  Blue  Mound,  Taylorville,  Williamsville, 
Marion,  Assumption,  and  is  now  at  Mt.  Carmel.  He  was 
elected  to  the  State  Legislature  and  served  in  the  session  of 
1890-91.  Mr.  Weedon  has  been  an  active  member  of,  and 
popular  in,  a  number  of  fraternal  societies.  But  with  him 
the  Lord's  work  has  always  held  first  place.  He  is  a  man 
of  fine  common  sense  and  brotherly  disposition.  People  like 
him  for  what  he  is.  His  ministry  has  always  been  con- 
structive and  far-reaching  in  its  results. 

E.  C.  Weekly. 

Kentucky,   1821.  1897,  Chicago,  111. 

Was  baptized  by  Barton  W.  Stone.  In  Kentucky,  he  was 
a  successful  builder  of  chapels.  Came  to  Illinois  in  1864, 
settling  in  Decatur.  He  continued  his  ministerial  labors 
until  his  failing  health  forbade  any  further  effort. 

Miss  Mary  S.  Welch. 

Miss  Welch  has  been  one  of  the  most  forceful  and  useful 
women  in  DeWitt  County.  Through  her  own  efforts  mainly, 
she  came  to  be  an  efficient  teacher  in  the  public  schools. 
From   1873-  she  served  as  county  superintendent  of  schools 


HERBERT  L.  WILLETT. 


CHAS.  REIGN  SCOVILLE. 


% 


%% 


^I^Jk 


WILLIAM   F.    BLACK. 


CLARK  BRADEN 


BIOGRAPHIES  633 

for  a  period  of  seventeen  years  at  a  time  when  most  men  did 
not  accord  the  right  of  women  to  this  office.  Pier  inteUigent 
faith  and  faithful  work  were  invaluable  to  the  Clinton 
Church.  She  bravely  stood  by  it  and  fostered  it  when  it  was 
little,  poor  and  despised  by  the  self-righteous.  Of  late  years 
she  has  been  the  superintendent  of  the  Rest-room  in  Clinton. 

Henry  Wiley. 

Mr.  Wiley  enlisted,  in  August,  1861,  in  Company  H, 
Fifty-ninth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  Promoted  to  captain 
in  December,  1862.  Was  in  the  battles  of  Pea  Ridge, 
Corinth,  Perryville,  Stone  River,  Lookout  Mountain,  Mis- 
sionary Ridge,  Chickamauga,  the  Atlanta  campaign,  Franklin 
and  Nashville. 

He  is  a  fine  Christian,  whose  home  is  at  Paris. 

Herbert  L.   Willett. 

Michigan,  1864. 

Mr.  Willett  is  of  the  finest  mental  discipline  and  tre- 
mendous capacity  for  work.  After  graduating  at  Bethany 
in  1886,  he  preached  seven  years.  He  studied  one  year  at 
Yale,  one  at  Berlin,  and  received  his  doctor's  degree  from 
the  University  of  Chicago  in  1896.  He  taught  three  years 
in  the  Bible  chairs  at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.  After  forming  the 
Hyde  Park  Church,  he  preached  there  three  years.  Then  he 
was  with  the  First  Church  two  years.  In  1908  he  brought 
about  a  union  of  the  last  named  with  the  Memorial  Baptist 
Church,  known  now  as  the  "Memorial  Church  of  Christ," 
and  has  since  then  served  as  its  minister.  Besides,  he  has 
done  much  miscellaneous  preaching  in  not  a  few  denomina- 
tional pulpits  in  Chicago  and  elsewhere. 

Mr.  Willett  is  one  of  the  most  democratic  of  university 
men,  and  of  engaging  personality.  He  is  always  a  pleasing 
and  persuasive  preacher.  It  has  been  said  that  no  honest 
man  can  hear  him  publicly  present  the  proofs  of  the  Scrip- 
tures and  then  say  that  he  does  not  believe  the  Bible  without 
a  feeling  of  shame.     He  is  a  prolific  writer,  and  for  some 


634  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

things  that  he  has  thus  said  he  has  subjected  himself  to  the 
criticism  of  his  fellow-Disciples. 

A  Church  Federation  Council  meeting  was  held  in 
Chicago  in  February,  1910.  After  the  session  of  the  day, 
there  was  an  informal  dinner  at  the  Great  Northern  Hotel, 
followed  by  brief  speeches  by  different  men.  Next  to  the 
last  to  speak  was  a  minister  noted  for  his  denominational 
proclivities.  He  said  that  it  was  puerile  to  array  the  .Scrip- 
tures against  denominational  Christianity  when  there  were 
Jewish  Christians,  Gentile  Christians,  etc.  Then  he  remarked 
that  the  people  who  had  the  most  to  say  about  unity  were 
the  most  sectarian  of  all,  and  even  little.  He  was  once  in  a 
Western  town  where  the  people  were  holding  a  revival,  and 
they  advertised  as  the  one  true  apostolic  church  of  Christ, 
that  there  was  only  one  people  who  had  the  presumption 
and  littleness  to  do  that,  etc.  When  Mr.  Willett  rose  and 
began  in  his  most  gracious  manner,  attention  was  riveted 
upon  him.  After  a  word  of  introduction,  he  took  up  the 
address  just  heard  by  saying:    *'In    regard    to    our    people 

whom  Dr.  has  done  us  the  honor  to  mention."     Then 

followed  a  skillful,  polished  and  thoroughgoing  answer.  It 
was  a  clear,  full  and  unanswerable  defense  of  the  Disciples. 
And  there  was  an  eloquent  silence  that  followed  it. 

At  present,  Mr.  Willett  holds  an  associate  professorship 

of   Semitic   Languages   and   Literature   in   the   University   of 

Chicago.     In  this  position  he  discharges  efficiently  the  duties 

that  are  his.  ,  ,        .    tjt-h- 

John  A.  Williams. 

Shelby  County,  Ind.,  1818.      1907,  Marion  County,  111. 

In  1834  his  father  brought  his  family  to  Illinois  and 
settled  near  the  village  of  Walnut  Hill,  in  Marion  County. 
Here  he  made  a  farm  on  the  timber-land,  and  here  John 
worked,  went  to  school  a  little  and  grew  to  manhood.  He 
became  a  Christian  at  the  old  Mt.  Moriah  Church  and  began 
to  preach  in  his  twenty-eighth  year.  From  1850  his  time 
was  mainly  given  to  the  ministry  of  the  Word.  His  evan- 
gelistic tours  were  frequently  made  on  horseback  from  fifty 


BIOGRAPHIES  635 

to  one  hundred  miles.  From  Shelbyville  to  Cairo,  and  from 
the  Wabash  to  the  Mississippi  River,  he  proclaimed  the 
gospel  for  sixty  years.  His  chief  compensation  was  the 
assurance  of  his  Master's  companionship  and  his  approval 
of  duty  unselfishly  and  faithfully  done.  Mr.  Williams  was 
a  superb  man  physically,  being  over  six  feet  tall  and  finely 
proportioned.  His  mental  powers  were  far  above  the  aver- 
age. His  knowledge  of  the  Bible  was  full  and  clear.  His 
sermons  were  logical  and  convincing.  His  manner  was 
winning.  He  was  known,  honored  and  loved  by  thousands 
of  people  of  every  kind. 

Samuel  V.  Williams 

Came  to  White  County  in  the  fifties  and  died  at  Enfield 
about  1872.  He  was  a  very  successful  country  preacher.  At 
one  time  he  went  to  a  co-operation  meeting  held  with  the 
White  Oak  Church  in  the  edge  of  Hamilton  County.  The 
attendance  was  large,  the  interest  fine,  but  the  preachers 
were  few.  So  a  young  college  minister  was  pressed  into 
service  for  the  occasion.  His  sermons  were  good,  but  did 
not  reach  the  people.  Finally,  Mr.  Williams  arrived,  and,  of 
course,  did  the  preaching.  Flis  eyes  were  keen  and  black, 
his  hair  long  and  black,  his  voice  superior,  his  general 
appearance  imposing  and  his  knowledge  of  his  subject  thor- 
ough. The  evening  was  pleasant,  the  well-seated  and  well- 
lighted  grove  inviting  and  the  large  audience  expectant.  At 
the  close  of  the  discourse  a  dozen  people  responded  to  the 
gospel   invitation,   and   many   others   came   in   the    following 

'  William  T.  Williams. 

Bath  County,  Ky.,  1810.  1890,  Jeflferson  County,  111.  ^ 
He  united  with  the  Christian  Church  and  entered  its 
ministry  about  1857.  For  fifteen  years  before  that  time  he 
had  served  as  an  itinerant  Methodist  minister.  He  was  a 
talented,  well-educated  man,  owned  and  used  a  large  library, 
had  a  fine  memory — reading  much  of  the  Bible  without  the 
text — held  many  public  discussions  and   formed  not  a   few 


636  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

churches   in   southern   HHnois    during    the    last    thirty-three 
years  of  his  hfe. 

John  L.  Wilson. 

Tennessee,  1816.  1881,  Illinois. 

In  1816,  Mr.  Wilson's  parents  came  to  Illinois  and  resided 
in  White,  Bond  and  Montgomery  Counties,  respectively.  In 
1839  he  moved  to  Mechanicsburg,  where  he  was  married  in 
1843.  By  the  church  there  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry 
in  1852.  He  served  that  congregation  one-half  time  as  its 
pastor  for  two  years.  Thereafter,  to  the  close  of  his  life,  his 
energies  were  devoted  to  the  work  of  evangelizing. 

Physically,  Mr.  Wilson  was  a  large  man,  standing  more 
than  six  feet  tall,  and  was  well  proportioned.  He  was  a  timid 
m.an,  but  his  faith  in  Jesus  and  his  love  of  the  gospel  made  him 
a  very  useful  and  powerful  preacher.  On  one  of  his  evangel- 
izing tours  in  central  Illinois  he  came  to  an  assembly  of  wor- 
shipers. The  M.  E.  preacher,  according  to  the  custom  of  his 
class  in  that  time,  was  earnestly  aiming  to  show  his  hearers 
that  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  on  the  human  side,  is  conditioned 
upon  faith  only,  and  is  in  no  way  connected  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment with  baptism.  In  his  sermon  he  several  times  quoted  our 
Lord's  commission,  as  recorded  by  Mark,  as  follows:  "He  that 
believeth,  and  so  forth,  shall  be  saved."  This  was  too  much 
for  Mr.  Wilson,  so,  just  before  the  meeting  closed,  he  pub- 
licly announced  that  he  would  preach  in  the  schoolhouse  at  a 
named  date,  and  that  the  subject  of  his  sermon  would  be 
"And  So  Forth."  Many  audiences  in  central  Illinois  heard 
that  discourse  with  pleasure  and  profit. 

In  his  residence  near  Harristown  he  retired  to  rest 
March  1,  1881,  in  his  usual  apparent  excellent  health.  On 
the  morrow  he  was  not,  for  God  had  taken  him. 

Mathew  Wilson. 

Tennessee,  1822.  1901,  Hot  Springs,  Ark. 

Became  a  Christian  in  1837.  Six  years  thereafter  he 
was  consumed  with  zeal  to  preach  the  gospel.     But  he  could 


BIOGRAPHIES  6^7 

not  read.  His  wife,  whom  he  had  just  married,  taught  him, 
and  his  progress  in  knowledge  was  such  that  he  was  set 
apart  to  the  ministry  in  1848.  A  loyahst  refugee  from  Ten- 
nessee, he  came  to  WiUiamson  County  in  1865  and  settled 
on  a  farm  near  Herrin.  Then  he  went  preaching  wherever 
people  would  assemble.  He  served  as  evangelist  in  the  six 
southern  counties  for  six  years,  and  organized  more  congre- 
gations in  that  section  than  any  other  man.  He  had  an 
impediment  in  his  speech,  but  none  in  his  Christian  zeal. 

Charles  L.  Wood 

Was  born  on  his  father's  farm  in  Wayne  County,  111.,  1868. 
Attended  the  schools  of  the  community.  He  is  a  man  of 
energy  and  resolution.  For  twenty-two  years  he  has  given 
the  Christian  Churches  of  Wayne  County  his  best  work  as  a 
preacher.  He  served  a  term  in  the  Spanish-American  War. 
Now  he  looks  after  a  320-acre  farm,  cries  an  average  of 
150  public  sales  a  year,  and  preaches  every  Lord's  Day. 

In  1912  he  was  elected  to  the  House  in  the  forty-eighth 
General  Assembly. 

Joseph  Wood 

Was  a  Virginian  by  birth.  Traveling  on  the  rivers,  he 
reached  the  Barney's  Prairie  settlement  in  1815.  He  was  a 
man  of  intelligence  and  influence  and  earnest  religious 
nature.  He  served  as  commissioner  of  post-roads.  His 
death  came  rather  early  in  life.  He  was  the  first  deacon  of 
the  Barney's  Prairie  Church,  and  a  son  or  grandson  of  his 
has  been  in  the  officiary  of  that  congregation  from  1819  to 
the  present  time. 

Claiborne  Wright. 

Indiana,  1819.  1896,  Mason,  111. 

Came  from  Johnson  County,  Ind.,  in  1861,  and  settled  on 
a  farm  two  miles  east  of  Mason.  He  was  the  first  Christian 
minister  to  reside  in  Effingham  County  and  pioneer  preacher 
of  a  fine  grade. 

A  poet  friend  wrote  these  lines,  among  others,  about  him : 


638         HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

"Claiborne  Wright!  a  name  through  which   we  see 
All  that  a  minister  of  God  should  be — 
A  name  itself  significant,  'round  which 
Our  human  virtues  clustered  rank  and  rich; 
An  ample  soul  perfected  on  a  plan 
That  comprehended  all  the  best  in  man, 
And  in  the  largeness  of  its  vision  saw 
The  beauty  of  eternal  love  and  law. 

"Against  all  wrong  he  waged  a  ceaseless  war, 
And  kept  his  soul  as  stainless  as  a  star; 
Along  the  awful  highways  of  the  world, 
He  bore  the  banner  of  the  Lord  unfurled, 
Willing  to  follow — not  afraid  to  lead 
When  duty  called  him,  in  the  time  of  need; 
No  soldier  of  the  cross — no  braver  knight 
E'er  donned  the  armor,  when  the  cause  was  right." 

John  Yager. 

Pennsylvania,  1808.  1894,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Yager  became  a  member  of  the  Christian  Denomina- 
tion in  1829  in  Ohio,  but  in  1834  he  transferred  his  member- 
ship to  the  church  of  Christ — probably  under  the  ministry  of 
Robert  Milligan.  He  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  in  1836 
and  purposed  to  give  himself  wholly  to  its  work.  His  wife 
objected  so  earnestly  that  he  gave  that  up.  Coming  to 
Illinois  the  same  year,  he  bought  a  large  tract  of  land  at 
Genesse  Grove,  in  Whiteside  County,  which  he  held  during 
his  lifetime.  He  became  very  well  versed  in  the  Scriptures 
and  a  capable  teacher.  He  was  short  in  stature,  but  robust 
and  compact  in  body;  a  large,  well-formed  head,  a  superior 
mind  and  a  heart  afiame  with  the  love  of  the  Master  and  his 
pure  gospel.  He  was  a  born  leader  of  men.  His  prayers 
were  an  inspiration  to  those  who  heard  them.  He  was 
active  and  aggressive  in  Christian  service  for  fifty  years,  and 
helped  in  the  formation  of  all  the  churches  of  Christ  in  that 
part  of  the  State. 

Charles  Yelton. 

Near  Lexington,  Ky.,  1823.  1904,  Newton,  111. 

Came  to  Illinois  in   1852  and   settled  in  Jasper  County, 


BIOGRAPHIES  639 

which  was  the  place  of  his  residence  throughout  the  larger 
part  of  his  life.     Shortly  thereafter  he  began  to  preach. 

He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  War.  In  1861  he 
became  captain  of  Company  H,  Thirty-eighth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. Later,  he  was  chaplain  of  the  143d  Illinois  Infantry. 
In  these  positions  he  acquitted  himself  in  a  manner  becom- 
ing a  Christian  military  officer. 

His  ministry  was  confined  mainly  to  Jasper  and  the  sur- 
rounding counties.  There  his  labors  were  fruitful  in  much 
good.  When  he  prospered  in  business,  he  rendered  to  the 
Lord  of  his  increase.  At  an  early  age  the  care  of  his  wid- 
owed mother  and  her  younger  children  devolved  upon  him. 
His  life  was  full  of  joyful  helpfulness.  His  last  years  were 
passed  in  Newton,  where  he  delivered  his  last  sermon  on 
the  eighty-first  anniversary  of  his  birth. 

P.  F.  York. 

Indiana,  1849. 

Came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois  in  1855,  who  settled  at 
Wenona.  He  is  a  nephew  of  the  Houstons.  Was  educated 
at  Wenona  Seminary  and  Eureka  College.  Has  now  served 
the  ministry  of  the  Christian  Church  forty-two  years — at 
Paxton,  Leroy,  Maroa,  Girard,  Sidell  and  other  places. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

MISCELLANEA. 

Dates. 

The  dates  of  many  events  in  pioneer  years  were  fixed  in 
the  minds  of  people  by  occurrences  that  could  not  be  easily 
forgotten.  The  winter  of  1830-31,  December  to  February, 
was  the  time  of  "the  deep  snow,"  which  covered  the  ground 
through  central  and  northern  Illinois  to  the  depth  of  four 
or  five  feet.  The  year  1834  was  impressed  upon  the  mind 
because  it  was  *'the  sickly  season" — many  were  ill  and  not  a 
\few  died.  "The  sudden  freeze"  came  Dec.  20,  1836.  The 
temperature  was  warm  till  noon  of  that  day,  when  very  sud- 
denly the  wind  veered  and  at  once  became  so  cold  that  boiling 
water  thrown  up  into  the  air  came  down  in  icedrops.  Ponds 
and  streams  were  frozen  over  so  quickly  that  frogs'  heads 
were  caught  in  the  ice,  and  myriads  of  wild  water-fowl 
were  seized  in  the  same  manner  and  perished. 

"Disguised  Deism"  or  "Socinianism." 

In  1883,  Dr.  Jesse  H.  Smith  resided  at  Chatham,  111.  He 
was  a  successful  practitioner  and  an  able  preacher  of  the 
gospel.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  character  which  commanded 
universal  respect.  His  nephew,  J.  Addison  Smith,  was  then 
pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  (South)  at  Des  Peres, 
St.  Louis  Co.,  Mo.  This  gentleman  in  that  year  addressed 
the  following  communication  to  his  cousin,  Miss  Lillie 
Smith,  at  Chatham : 

In  your  last  postal  card  you  refer  to  the  conversation  we  had  in 
the  grove.  About  that  conversation,  I  have  this  much  to  say:  That  I 
arn  sorry  I  mentioned  the  subiect  if  it  is  painful  to  you.  I  had  no 
wish  to  hurt  your  feelings.     This  you  know.     I  was  only  stating  a 

640 


MISCELLANEA  641 

fact;  viz.,  that  your  church  was  not  regarded  by  the  thinking  world  as 
an  orthodox  body.  The  Synod  of  Missouri  last  month  sent  up  another 
overture  to  the  next  General  Assembly  of  our  church  on  this  very 
subject.  Our  General  Assembly  has  already  uttered  its  voice  on  this 
subject,  maintaining  that  the  followers  of  Alexander  Campbell  are  not 
evangelical,  and,  consequently,  can  not  be  recognized  as  orthodox  min- 
isters in  our  church  courts.  The  history  of  the  above  overture  is 
simply  this :  A  few  months  ago  the  Presbytery  of  La  Fayette,  in  this 
State,  sitting  in  Sedalia,  invited  the  minister  of  the  Christian  Church 
in  that  city  to  sit  with  the  Presbytery  as  a  visiting  brother.  Imme- 
diately this  sprung  the  question  whether  the  brother  in  question  was 
a  minister  in  an  orthodox  church.  Several  of  the  members  of  the 
above  Presbytery  objected  to  receiving  the  brother  because  our  highest 
court,  the  General  Assembly,  had  declared  most  emphatically  the 
church  in  question  could  not  be  recognized  as  a  church  of  Jesus  Christ. 
This  question  was  taken  by  the  above  Presbytery  to  Synod,  and  we 
discussed  it  there,  and  then  sent  it  up  to  the  next  Assembly,  that  is  to 
meet  in  Vicksburg.  Miss.,  in  IMay.  When  the  question  came  up  in  the 
Synod  of  Missouri  there  was  a  great  deal  of  feeling  on  the  subject. 
Many  of  us  were  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  the  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  and  it  almost  seemed  a  breach  of  courtesy  for  us  to 
openly  assail  their  church.  I  was  the  second  one  to  gain  the  floor  of 
the  Synod,  and  before  beginning  my  speech  stated  that  many  of  the 
bre'-iren  felt  great  delicacy  in  saying  anything  on  the  subject  in  hand, 
for  they  were  partaking  of  the  hospitality  of  the  members  of  the  church 
in  question.  1  stated  that  in  my  speech  there  would  not  be  any  bitter- 
ness or  venom,  for  I  had  a  dear  relative,  a  man  of  princely  gifts,  who 
was  a  minister  in  this  church.  I  then  showed  that  the  question  was  not 
whether  this  single  minister  here  or  there  was  sound.  I  believed  my 
uncle  was  sound  and  orthodox  ;  but  that  was  not  the  question  before 
the  Synod.  It  was  this  :  Taking  that  body  as  a  body,  are  they  orthodox 
according  to  the  Presbyterian,  Methodist,  Baptist  and  Episcopal  way 
of  thinking?  I  then  attempted  to  show  that  the  only  way  we  could  get 
at  the  question  in  this  form  would  be  to  go  to  the  very  fountain-head 
of  the  system;  viz.,  to  Alex.  Campbell  himself,  and,  examining  that 
system  there,  to  answer  whether  it  was  orthodox;  I  bade  the  Synod 
remember  that  whatever  that  brother  believed  was  a  true  exponent  of 
the  system.  No,  for  A.  Campbell  confessed  in  his  debate  with  Dr. 
Rice  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  that  "he  had  in  his  church  all  sorts  of  men 
preaching^  all  sorts  of  doctrines,"  and  so  what  one  brother  regarded  as 
Campbellism  another  brother  would  ignore  as  such ;  so,  this  being 
true,  one  would  be  compelled  to  go  to  the  fountain-head,  Campbell 
himself,  and  see  what  his  views  were. 

And  I  then  stated  that  the  highest  authority  of  this  continent,  of 
whom  it  was  said  that  he  did  not  have  a  superior  in  the  world, 
Dabney  of  Virginia,  who  was  professor  of  theology  for  thirty  years, 


642  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

once  said  to  me  personally  that  the  system  of  Alex.  Campbell  was 
nothing  but  disguised  Deism.  I  referred  the  members  of  Synod  to 
the  tinest  critique  of  Campbell's  system  that  has  ever  appeared  in 
America,  from  the  pen  of  the  above  Dabney  in  the  Southern  Presby- 
terian Review  for  July,  1880.  Then  I  attempted  to  show  the  exact  cor- 
respondence between  Campbell's  system  and  Socinianism.  In  fact,  it 
has  often  been  said,  the  truth  of  which  can  not  be  doubted,  that  Camp- 
bell received  his  system  not  from  himself— it  did  not  originate  with 
him— but  from  Faustus  Socinus,  of  Poland.  Doubtless,  you  know  Alex. 
Campbell  was  a  licentiate  of  the  Seceder  Church,  Scotland.  He  came 
to  America  as  such,  but  his  father,  Thomas  Campbell,  having  been 
called  upon  to  stand  trial  before  the  Presbyterian  Church  for  some 
little  matter,  this  seems  to  have  irritated  young  Alex.  Campbell,  and 
he  then  (possibly  to  spite,  as  he  thought,  the  Presbyterian  Church) 
began  with  his  father  to  drift  farther  and  farther  away  from  the 
church  in  which  he  and  his  father  had  been  licensed,  fleeting  up  with 
the  writings  of  Socinus,  he  absorbed  them,  and  here  is  the  starting  of 
the  system  before  us.  The  points  of  correspondence  between  Camp- 
bellism  and  Socinianism  are  so  well  defined  that  th^y  are  not  ques- 
tioned. Take  only  three,  to  say  nothing  of  others:  1st,  original  sin; 
2nd,  atonement;  3rd,  the  nature  and  work  of  the  Spirit,  and  I  might 
add  a  4th ;  viz.,  the  person  and  work  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Now, 
Lillie,  my  speech  before  Synod  was  so  courteous  to  the  feelings  of  the 
members  of  the  Christian  Church  that  were  present  during  the  discus- 
sion— no  bitter  language  was  used — so  that  not  one  took  offense,  and 
when,  by  appointment  of  Synod,  I  had  to  preach  at  the  Christian 
Church  on  Sabbath  night,  I  had  a  splendid  congregation  and  they 
treated  me  with  the  utmost  courtesy. 

After  repetitions  in  110  words,  Nephew  Smith  continues: 

Now,  Lillie,  I  am  very  sorry  that  this  question  has  been  sprung, 
for  you  know  I  do  not  wish  to  do  or  say  anything  that  will  give  you 
pain,  nor  to  estrange  Uncle  Jesse.  Now,  you  may  think  that  I  am 
writing  about  something  of  which  I  am  ignorant  when  I  write  about 
your  body.  But  I  know  whereof  I  speak.  I  have  known  of  your  body 
for  years.  I  do  not  pretend  to  say  anything  about  your  type  of 
religion  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  whether  your  body  there  is  orthodox 
or  not,  but  I  do  pretend  to  say  that  I  know  something  about  it  in  Texas 
and  in  this  State.  In  Texas  your  ministers  carried  on  at  such  a  rate 
that  it  was  regarded  by  some  strict  Presbyterians  as  a  desecration  of 
the  Sabbath  to  attend  their  church,  and  I  was  possibly  fifteen  years  of 
age  before  I  was  allowed  to  hear  those  of  whom  it  was  said  that 
"they  ridicule  the  Holy  Spirit."  Understand,  Lillie,  I  have  met  with 
your  people.  I  have  argued  with  them,  and  I  know  what  some  of 
them  believe  and  what  they  do  not  believe.  One  of  the  soundest 
preachers   (regarded  sound  by  your  body)   of  your  church  in  north- 


MISCELLANEA  643 

western  Missouri  had  a  conversation  with  me,  and  from  nis  conversa- 
tion he  denied  the  personahty  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  makes  it  [him. — 
Author]  a  mere  influence.  Remember,  he  was  one  of  your  soundest 
men  in  that  section  of  the  State.  I  could  say  a  great  deal  more  on  the 
subject,  but  I  will  stop.  I  am  sorry  that  you  requested  me  to  write  a 
letter  showing  the  correspondence  between  the  two  systems  spoken  of. 
In  closing  I  bid  you  remember  the  connection  in  which  I  spoke  of 
these  two  things  in  that  grove.  You  remember  I  said  I  was  anxious 
to  have  Uncle  Jesse  when  the  Presbytery  of  St.  Louis  met  at  my 
church,  but  that  I  was  prevented  from  so  doing  by  the  following  con- 
sideration;  viz.,  that  if  he  were  present  I  would  wish  him  to  be  invited 
to  sit  as  a  visiting  brother,  but  as  soon  as  this  would  be  mentioned 
there  would  be  a  conflict  and  clash,  as  members  of  Presbytery  would 
oppose  such  a  move  on  the  ground  that  the  body  he  represented  was 
not  orthodox.  This,  I  said,  would  have  hurt  uncle's  feelings  and 
mine.  It  was  in  this  way  I  came  to  make  the  remark  in  question.  I 
am  sorry  I  made  it  if  the  mere  statement  of  a  truth  (so  regarded  by 
our  Assembly)  should  cause  offense.  1  dislike  these  arguments,  for 
they  accomplish  no  good.  Sometimes  they  are  forced  on  us  in  order 
to  conserve  the  truth  and  the  gospel  of  Christ  in  its  purity,  as  was  the 
case  in  the  Synod.  I  have  no  hope  of  changing  your  mind_  on  the 
grand  principles  involved  in  these  statements.  If  your  system  is  Scrip- 
tural and  will  do  to  base  your  hopes  for  eternity  on,  then  you  keep  it. 
Of  course,  I  must  be  permitted  to  acquiesce  in  the  opinion  of  all  ortho- 
dox churches  of  the  world — that  it  is  antiscriptural  and,  consequently, 
will  not  do  to  rest  on  for  eternity.  Now,  Lillie,  remember  you 
requested  this  letter;  take  it  in  the  spirit  in  which  it  is  written. 
God  bless  you  richly  and  you  all. 

Your  affectionate  cousin, 

J.  A.  S. 

To  this  loquacious  letter  Dr.  Smith  shortly  made  the  fol- 
lowing reply: 

Dear  Sir:  Lillie.  on  reading  your  last  letter,  felt  that  I  should 
know  its  contents,  and,  accordingly,  gave  it  to  me  to  read.  Its  contents 
surprised  and  grieved  me  no  little.  And  after  reading  it  I  feel  k  my 
duty  to  address  you,  and,  if  possible,  to  open  your  eyes  to  the  heinous- 
ness  of  your  sin.  First  charge — That  A.  Campbell  stole  or  borrowed 
his  distinctive  views  of  the  Christian  religion  from  Socinus.  This  is 
as  false  as  perjury  and  base  as  slander.  It  is  the  repetition  of  a  thread- 
bare slander  against  the  sainted  dead.  If  your  salvation  from  Gehenna 
depended  on  the  proof  of  this  charge  from  his  writings,  your  doom 
would  be  inevitable.  Hear  the  accused  in  his  own  defense.  He  said 
nearly  sixty  years  ago:  "While  I  renounce  the  metaphysical  jargon 
found  in  creeds  on  what  is  called  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  such  as 


644  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

eternal  generation,  etc.,  I  regard  Arianism,  scmi-Arianism  and  Socin- 
ianism  as  poor,  miserable,  Lund  and  naked  nonsense  and  absurdity." 
In  the  face  of  this  disclaimer,  what  is  your  charge  but  a  false  fabrica- 
tion? a  slander? 

Again,  A.  Campbell  published  approvingly  fifty-nine  years  ago : 
"From  my  heart  I  pity  the  Socinians.  1  compassionate  their  temerity, 
and  would  not,  the  Bible  being  in  my  hand,  rush  into  the  presence  of 
the  quick  and  dead  with  their  sentiments  for  twice  the  value  of  the  uni- 
verse." A.  Campbell  entertained  and  taught  but  one  view  in  reference 
to  the  divine  nature  of  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Holy  Spirit;  viz.,  that  they 
are  essentially  and  eternally  divine  and  underived  in  any  sense  of  gen- 
eration known  to  man.  We,  like  the  Saviour,  receive  not  honor  from 
men  (John  5:41-44).  Those  that  did  so  had  not  the  love  of  God  in 
them.  True  honor  comes  from  God  only,  and  not  from  the  thinking 
world,  the  General  Assembly.  Here  read  the  enclosed  paragraph  from 
A.  Campbell.  As  he  said  of  the  Socinians,  so  say  1  of  you — from  my 
heart  1  pity  you.  I  compassionate  your  temerity  in  ignorantly  and 
willfully  slandering  the  dead  in  Christ. 

Forty  years  ago,  when  I  knew  as  little  of  Socinus  and  Alex.  Camp- 
bell as  1  now  do  of  the  man  in  the  moon,  I  heard  your  venerable  father 
make  the  same  statement  about  A.  Campbell  that  you  wrote  to  Lillie. 
Where  he  got  his  information,  I  never  knew,  but  suppose  it  was  from 
some  retail  shop  or  peddler,  as  I  never  knew  him  to  read  a  line  in  one 
of  A.  Campbell's  works  in  my  life.  A  little  second-hand  information 
from  your  father,  seconded  by  your  Virginia  idol,  seems  to  constitute 
your  stock  in  trade.  With  all  your  silly  pedantry  and  boasted  acquaint- 
ance with  our  people  and  teaching,  I  have  no  idea  you  ever  read  any 
two  of  A.  Campbell's  works  in  your  life.  If  so,  which?  Will  you 
please  answer?  You  said  to  Lillie,  'The  Christian  Church  is  not  to 
be  judged  by  a  few  sound  preachers  here  and  there,"  and  then,  without 
quoting  a  single  sentence  from  any  of  our  published  works  to  convict 
us,  you  seek  to  condemn  us  from  something  you  understood  one  of  our 
preachers  to  say  in  private  and  probably  excited  controversy.  Verily, 
the  lame  limp  and  theological  policemen  usually  sit  on  stools  with  two 
legs  of  unequal  length,  as  in  this  case. 

Your  second  charge — "That  A.  Campbell's  views  of  the  Christian 
religion  are  nothing  but  disguised  Deism."  I  am  reluctant  to_  answer 
this  charge  because  its  barefaced  falsity  demands  more  severity  than 
I  can  consistently  employ.  Do  angels  of  light  yet  transform  themselves 
into  scavengers?  To  me  it  sounds  like  a  pansophical  egotist.  Just  such 
creatures  said  worse  things  about  the  blessed  Saviour  eighteen  hun- 
dred years  ago.  If  the  statement  is  not  the  offspring  of  ignorance, 
then  the  doctrine  of  total  depravity  is  true  in  some  cases.  That  old 
soldier  of  the  Cross,  if  he  knew  of  this  vile  aspersion,  would  justly 
rebuke  me  in  the  day  of  eternity  if  I  failed  to  say  a  word  in  his  exon- 
eration.    "Nothing  but  disguised  Deism!"     The  man  who  toiled  with 


MISCELLANEA  645 

tongue  and  pen  for  half  a  century  in  the  defense  of  revealed  religion 
•*a  Deist"!  Ihe  man  who  has  done  more  to  ehmmate  falsehood, 
destroy  priestcraft  and  reveal  the  rottenness  of  human  systems  and 
creeds  "a  Deist" !  Angels  of  God,  where  are  you  encamped  and  how 
restrained?  Thank  God  for  his  noble  hfe  and  imperishable  memory! 
I  owe  him  more  this  day  for  a  clear  and  satisfactory  conception  of  the 
Christian  religion  than  to  all  the  priests  and  scribes  of  Christendom. 
And,  now  that  his  sun  of  life  is  set  and  the  night  of  death  rests  as  a 
mantle  upon  his  ashes,  miserable  sectarian  owls  leave  their  hiding- 
places  to  hoot  at  his  memory. 

You  say,  1st,  that  you  are  sorry  that  you  mentioned  the  subject  if 
it  is  painful  to  her,  and,  2nd,  that  you  were  only  stating  a  fact— that 
her  church  was  not  regarded  by  the  thinking  zuorld  as  orthodox;  and, 
3rd,  that  your  General  Assembly  had  decided  that  we  are  not  evangel- 
ical. Reply  1.  When  a  man  vends  or  peddles  a  slander  against  a  man 
or  religious  body,  it  is  a  royal  apology  to  tell  the  wounded,  "I  am  sorry 
I  said  it,  but  it  is  true  and  I  know  it."  2.  "Thinking  world"!  Your 
pedantic  character  is  accurately  photographed  by  Job  12:2:  "No  doubt 
ye  are  the  people,  and  wisdom  will  die  with  you."  Again  he  says 
(13:4,  5)  :  "But  ye  are  forgers  of  lies,  ye  are  physicians  of  no  value. 
O  that  ye  would  altogether  hold  your  peace,  and  it  should  be  your 
wisdom."  3.  "General  Association  has  decided  that  we  are  not  evan- 
gelical." Poor,  despised  children  of  God!  What  next?  The  ^pope's 
bull  of  excommunication  is  published — "Ye  are  not  evangelic."  The 
iron  bedstead  has  been  made.  "Ye  are  not  orthodox,"  but  you  through 
this  device  and  hellish  malice  can  receive  the  proper  stature.  Let  me 
say  plainly,  if  our  recognition  depends  upon  our  falling  down  and  wor- 
shiping the  image  you  have  set  up  (your  creed),  or  kissing  the  big  toe 
of  your  Holiness,  the  great  Dabney,  then  we  are  prepared  for  lions' 
dens  and  fiery  furnaces.  As  to  whether  we  represent  a  pure  Bible 
Christianity,  we  court  investigation  before  a  proper  tribunal,  but  not 
before  a  sectarian  court,  council  and  witnesses.  If  all  these  should 
either  be  dishonest  or  prejudiced,  how  could  an  honest  man  get  jus- 
tice? From  self-styled  orthodoxy  may  the  good  Lord  deliver  us;  for 
it  was  the  orthodox  priests  and  rulers  that  crucified  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

Many  years  ago  a  boastful  deist  of  Scotland  came  to  America  and 
challenged  the  clergy  of  the  United  States  to  measure  swords  with  him. 
Who  met  and  discomfited  this  Goliath?  The  pansophical  clergy?  No, 
sir.  It  was  the  now  sainted  dead  but  vilely  aspersed  A.  Campbell.  The 
bulwark  he  then  threw  around  the  Christian  religion  will  be  an  honor 
to  himself  and  a  glory  to  the  church  to  the  end  of  time.  His  colaborers, 
ignorantly  or  spitefully  called  his  followers,  have  caught  his  inspira- 
tion, and  for  the  last  twenty-five  years,  it  is  said  by  those  who  have 
investigated  the  matter,  more  than  fifty  per  cent,  of  all  the  debates  in 
the  United  States  against  infidels,  atheists  and  deists  have  been  con- 
ducted by  them.    Under  the  plea  we  have  made  in  the  last  half  century. 


646  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

over  half  a  million  believing  souls  have  rallied  to  the  Cross  of  Christ. 
Here  we  raise  our  Ebenezer,  and  under  God  v^^ill  push  his  victories 
over  sectarianism,  deism  and  atheism  till  all  the  Philistian  hosts  are  dis- 
comfited and  destroyed. 

All  praise  to  the  saints  of  God  in  Sedalia !  It  is  not  the  first  time 
God's  children  have  heaped  coals  of  lire  on  the  heads  of  their  enemies. 
The  Master  taught  them,  "If  your  enemy  hunger,  feed  him."  Let  me 
be  plain  with  you.  Your  reference  to  i\ir.  Dabney,  of  Virginia,  is  both 
idolatrous  and  Llaspliemous,  for  you  say  "the  highest  authority  of  this 
continent  is  Dabney  of  Virginia."  In  this  bald  sentence,  even  the 
authority  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  not  excepted.  Now,  should  you 
not  qualify  the  above  statement  by  the  word  "human"?  I  shall  not 
be  surprised  to  learn  that  you  have  joined  the  pious  old  lady  in  her 
reverent  exclamation,  "Glory  to  King  Beelzebub!" 

Finally,  one  of  two  things  remains  for  you  to  do — either  furnish 
the  proofs  of  your  allegations,  or  confess  your  sin.    I  will  wait  and  see. 

Your  uncle, 
Dr.  J.  H.  Smith. 

A  Chicken  Story. 

The  story  of  the  pioneers  would  be  incomplete  without 
mention  of  their  open-hearted  hospitality.  It  was  generous 
to  a  fault  and  contributed  very  much  enjoyment  to  their 
otherwise  circumscribed  lives.  In  those  days,  chicken  was  a 
"company"  dish.  As  soon  as  the  yellow-legged  variety  was 
introduced  they  were  at  once  associated  with  the  ]Methodist 
preachers.  But  these  good  brethren  did  not  have  a  monopoly 
of  this  toothsome  luxury.  While  the  preachers  of  those 
days  received  little  cash,  and  often  none,  they  were  royally 
entertained.  The  best  things  to  eat  were  theirs.  In  every 
community  there  was  at  least  one  family  that  gladly  wel- 
comed the  messengers  of  the  Cross. 

In  the  early  day,  on  a  Saturday  afternoon,  two  tired 
preachers  rode  up  to  one  of  those  homes  where  the  latch-key 
was  always  out.  In  a  little  while  the  cry  of  a  hen  was 
heard  and  two  small  boys,  intent  on  a  tragic  business,  were 
seen  by  a  passing  neighbor.  One  of  the  boys  held  the  fowl 
by  the  feet  and  head,  with  the  neck  stretched  across  a  log. 
The  other  boy  stood  with  uplifted  ax.  The  proceedings 
moved  slowly ;  so  the  passing  neighbor  called  out :  "Why 
don't  you  cut  her  head  off  and  be  done  with  it?     Say,  Bub, 


MISCELLANEA  647 

let  go  that  bill  or  you'll  get  your  hand  cut  off  sure."  The 
older  boy  replied:  "But  we  want  to  chop  the  neck  right  up 
to  the  head  and  the  old  thing  won't  hold  still."  "What's  the 
use?  Whack  away,"  replied  the  neighbor.  "Lots  of  use," 
said  the  older  boy;  "there's  two  preachers  in  the  house,  and 
the  neck's  all  we'll  get." 

In  the  seventies,  John  A.  Logan  was  a  candidate  for  the 
United  States  Senate.  The  Legislature  was  deadlocked  by 
a  tie.  Then  a  Democrat  in  the  House  died.  But  that  dis- 
trict was  overwhelmingly  Democratic;  so  the  Republicans 
let  their  nomination  go  by  default.  However,  a  large  num- 
ber of  sewing-machine  agents  got  busy  in  that  district.  They 
drove  good  teams  and  the  wagons  were  loaded  with  sewing- 
machines.  On  the  side  they  whispered  to  every  solid 
Republican:  "Go  to  the  polls  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
and  vote  for  Air.  Blank ;  mum  is  the  word."  The  game  won. 
The  Democrats,  thinking  it  unnecessary  to  vote,  stayed  at 
home,  and  the  Republicans  elected  their  candidate.  This 
broke  the  deadlock,  and  that  vote  returned  Mr.  Logan  to 
the  Senate.  And  that  man  was  one  of  the  boys  who  years 
before  had  stretched  the  old  hen's  neck  across  the  log. 

The  resourcefulness  of  youth  is  prophetic. 

The  Seat  of  Authority. 

The  Preachers  vs.  the  Local  Church. 

Shortly  after  the  close  of  the  pastorate  of  Alexander 
Johnson  in  Springfield,  early  in  1856,  Mr.  B.  F.  Perkey, 
having  preached  there  a  few  times,  was  engaged  to  serve 
the  congregation  as  its  settled  minister.  It  soon  became 
apparent  that  his  manner  of  life  was  bringing  reproach  on 
the  cause  of  Christ.  Whereupon,  the  elders  of  the  church 
waited  upon  him  and  advised  him  that  "such  was  the  oppo- 
sition to  his  further  continuance  as  pastor  that  his  services 
could  no  longer  be  profitable,  and,  in  their  judgment,  ought 
to  cease."  Already  there  had  been  some  misunderstanding 
between   Mr.    Perkey   and   a   few   members   of   the   church. 


648  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

Then  he  accused  the  congregation  of  violating  a  compact 
and  doing  him  great  injury.  Without  any  conference  with 
the  elders  or  any  knowledge  of  the  church,  he  mailed  a 
circular  to  the  Christian  ministers  of  the  State,  calling  upon 
them  to  meet  in  Springfield  "to  consider  questions  of  great 
importance."  Forty-two  preachers  responded  to  the  call. 
]\lr.  Perkey  then  arraigned  the  church  and  one  of  its  mem- 
bers in  particular  for  trial  on  charges  which  he  had  pre- 
pared. He  demanded  that  the  ministers  thus  assembled 
should  take  upon  themselves  the  task  of  calling  the  church 
to  account  for  its  bad  faith  toward  him.  The  congregation 
was  wholly  ignorant  of  the  purpose  of  this  ministerial  con- 
vention, had  not  been  made  a  party  to  its  proceedings,  and 
hence  had  no  opportunity  of  making  its  defense.  But  before 
the  convention  adjourned  it  appointed  a  committee  to 
mete  out  to  the  congregation  such  discipline  as,  in  their 
judgment,  it  deserved.  In  due  time  the  committee  made  a 
report,  which  they  styled  their  "decision."  They  found  that 
"the  grievances  of  Bro.  Perkey  are  great.  The  church  at 
Springfield  has  done  him  a  palpable  injury  by  violating  the 
solemn  pact,  and  should  make  reparation."  This  led  the 
congregation  to  appoint  a  committee  to  consider  the  case. 
Their  report  w^as  made  to  the  church  and  by  it  adopted  Feb. 
8,  1857.  It  settled  several  things.  This  report  bears  the 
unmistakable  stamp  of  that  master  mind,  A.  J.  Kane.  It 
was  as  follows : 

Christian  Meeting-house,  Springfield,  Feb.  8,  1857. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  congregation  in  Springfield,  Feb.  8,  1857,  the 
following  report  was  read  and  adopted  : 

"Whereas,  Jonathan  Atkinson.  Theophilus  Sweet,  E.  W.  Bakewell 
and  I.  N.  Carman,  the  majority  of  a  committee  appointed  by  the  late 
Preachers'  Convention  held  in  this  city,  have  presented  the  elders  of 
this  church  with  a  copy  of  what  they  style  their  'decision,'  in  which, 
among  other  things,  they  assume  to  decide  as  follows : 

"  'The  grievances  of  Bro.  Perkey  are  great.  The  church  at  Spring- 
field has  done  him  a  palpable  injury  by  violating  a  solemn  compact, 
and  justice  and  love  alike  bind  them  to  make  reparation,  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, for  the  injury,  pecuniary  and  otherwise,  sustained  by  him  and 
the  cause  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.* 


MISCELLANEA  649 

"And,  Whereas,  The  investigation  of  said  grievances  (as  they  term 
it)  was  ahogether  partial  and  ex  parte,  insomuch  as  they  only  heard 
his  statement,  and  such  evidence  as  he  saw  tit  to  produce,  and  did  not 
receive  or  seek  any  other,  although  informed  that  they  could  have  any 
information  in  possession  of  the  elders  in  relation  to  matters  properly 
submitted  to  said  committee,  nor  was  the  church  permitted  to  select 
any  part  of  the  tribunal ; 

"Therefore,  Resolved,  That  we  utterly  repudiate  and  deny  the 
authority  arrogated  by  said  committee  to  try  this  church  or  to  pass  any 
decision  on  its  action. 

"Resolved,  That  a  church  properly  organized  is  responsible  to  no 
tribunal  on  earth,  except  to  the  civil  law  in  cases  under  its  cognizance, 
and  that  we  regard  this  action  of  the  committee  as  an  assumption  of 
power,  unwarranted  by  the  word  of  God  or  the  practice  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  and  a  bold  attempt  to  lord  it  over  the  heritage  of  God. 

"Resolved,  That  when  this  church  feels  itself  incompetent  to  man- 
age its  temporal  and  spiritual  affairs,  and  deems  it  necessary  to  have 
assistance,  it  not  only  has  the  right,  but  claims  the  right,  to  choose  a 
part,  at  least,  of  the  tribunal  to  which  matters  may  be  properly  sub- 
mitted. 

"Resolved,  That  the  statement  of  said  committee  that  'the  church 
in  Springfield  has  done  him  a  palpable  wrong  by  violating  a  solemn 
compact,'  is  reckless  and  without  foundation. 

"Resolved,  That  this  church  approves  the  action  of  the  elders  in 
communicating  to  Elder  Perkey  'that  such  was  the  opposition  to  his 
further  continuance  as  pastor  of  the  congregation,  that  his  services 
could  be  no  longer  profitable  and.  in  their  judgment,  ought  to  cease,' 
and  we  believe  it  was  done  with  the  best  of  motives  for  his  good,  and 
for  the  interest  of  the  cause  of  Christ. 

"Resolved,  That  the  church  holds  itself  amenable  to  no  Conference, 
S>Tiod  or  Convention,  claiming  the  exclusive  right  to  control  its  own 
private  and  public  concerns,  but  willing  and  desirous  to  co-operate 
with  others  in  promoting  the  great  cause  of  religion  as  long  as  such 
right  is  conceded. 

"Resolved,  That  while  we  are  disposed  to  respect  the  brethren  com- 
posing the  committee,  as  ministers  and  proclaimers  of  the  gospel,  so 
long  as  they  confine  their  operations  to  the  legitimate  work  to  which 
they  are  called,  we  must  most  decidedly,  in  the  fear  of  God  and  in  all 
Christian  forbearance,  utterly  repudiate  and  set  at  naught  the  so-called 
decision  so  far  as  it  relates  to  this  church. 

"(Signed)  A.  J.  Kane, 

"RicHARn  Latham, 
"Joseph  Bennett, 
*'A.  C   Constant, 

"Committee." 


650  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

When  the  "Campbellites"  Were  Not  Evangelical. 
The  following  incident  explains  itself.  It  is  from  the 
pen  of  Mr.  Henry  C.  Latham,  now  a  banker  of  Springfield, 
written  in  1903.  In  Christian  character  and  reputation  he 
was  the  equal,  if  not  the  superior,  of  those  who  disbarred 
him.    He  wrote: 

In  regard  to  the  episode  of  the  Y.  M,  C.  A.,  it  was  I  who  had  the 
experience.  About  1864  an  attempt  was  made  to  organize  the  Y.  M.  C. 
A. ;  perhaps  two  hundred  young  men  had  assembled  in  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Church,  and  the  constitution  was  presented  for  adoption.  The 
first  item  provided  that  all  members  of  "evangelical"  churches  should 
be  eligible  as  members.  I  raised  the  question  as  to  what  was  meant  by 
"evangelical,"  for  it  had  been  hinted  that  the  "Disciples  of  Christ"  were 
not  so  considered.  They  replied  that  no  question  should  be  raised  as 
to  my  eligibility  as  a  member.  I  replied  I  was  not  asking  the  question 
for  myself  alone,  that  I  had  no  desire  to  become  a  member  of  any 
organization  where  my  brothers  could  not  be  freely  admitted.  In  the 
discussion,  Bro.  J.  C.  Tully  and  two  men  from  the  Congregational 
Church  came  to  my  aid,  and  we  attempted  to  amend  the  constitution 
by  inserting  "that  any  person  who  believed  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God,  and  had  accepted  him  as  their  Saviour,  may  become  a 
member,"  etc.  Thereupon,  a  stranger  in  the  city  who  happened  to  be 
present  made  a  strong  speech  against  the  change,  and  stated  that  the 
wording  of  the  constitution  as  presented  had  been  found  necessary  to 
keep  out  the  Unitarians,  Universalists  and  the  Campbellites,  and  before 
anything  was  accomplished  the  meeting  adjourned,  several  stating 
openly  that  they  did  not  care  to  belong  to  a  religious  organization 
where  I  and  my  brethren  could  not  be  admitted.  The  attempt  at  organ- 
ization at  that  time  failed,  but  later  an  organization  was  effected,  and 
I  afterward  became  president  of  this  same  association. 


Women  as  Preachers  and  Pastoral  Helpers. 
The  entrance  of  women  into  the  public  ministry  of  the 
churches  of  Christ  in  Illinois  was  as  quiet  as  the  rising  sun. 
They  had  served  with  efficiency  in  so  many  semi-public  rela- 
tions and  places  that  this  final  step  was  easily  taken.  It 
seemed  to  have  been  Providential.  To  Mrs.  C.  C.  Babcock, 
of  the  Sterling  Church,  belons^s  the  honor  of  having  been 
the  pioneer  in  this  service.  All  of  her  valuable  public  min- 
istry had  the  cordial  approval  of  her  husband.  As  far  as 
learned,  the  other  women  who   have   entered  the   Christian 


MISCELLANEA  651 

ministry  in  Illinois  are  the  following:  Mary  Pickens  Buck- 
ner,  of  Augusta;  Miss  Rachel  Crouch,  who  married  Mr.  Neil 
Derrick;  Aliss  Rachel  Dangerfield;  Miss  Daisy  Finger;  Mrs. 
Lew  D.  Hill,  wife  of  Minister  Hill;  Mrs.  Rochester  Irwin, 
wife  of  Minister  Irwin;  Mrs.  Ida  K.  Jordon,  wife  of  O.  F. 
Jordon;  Miss  Bertha  Merrill;  Mrs.  H.  E.  Monser,  wife  of 
Minister  Monser;  Miss  Sadie  McCoy,  who  married  ]\Iin.  J. 
R.  Crank — she  was  employed  by  the  State  Mission  Board  in 
1893  and  added  127  people  to  the  churches  in  188  days  of 
service;  Aliss  Sadie  Olive;  ]\Iiss  Myrtle  Park,  who  married 
Min.  W.  H.  Storm  after  a  successful  pastorate  of  five  years 
with  the  Carlock  Church;  Miss  Myrtle  Very,  Miss  Ava  S. 
Walton  and  Miss  Lou  Watson. 

Among  the  women  missionaries  who  have  gone  out  from 
the  churches  in  Illinois  there  are :  Miss  Frances  Irene  Banta, 
and  Miss  Nellie  Daugherty,  who  married  Dr.  James  Butch- 
art,  to  China ;  Miss  Mary  Kingsbury,  Mrs.  Kate  Lawrence 
Brown  and  Miss  Myra  Harris  McLeoud,  to  India ;  Mrs. 
Marie  Jackson  McCoy  to  Japan,  and  Mrs.  Lillian  Boyer 
Hedges  to  Africa. 

In  the  public  ministry  of  the  gospel,  women  have 
acquitted  themselves  well  in  every  way. 


Conservatives  and  Progressives. 
In  coming  out  of  spiritual  Babylon,  most  of  the  Disciples 
of  Christ  have  traveled,  for  varying  periods,  through  foggy 
fields  of  confused  thought.  The  average  man,  even  in 
enlightened  America,  does  not  think  clearly  and  analyze 
logically.  To  discriminate  between  the  fundamental  and  the 
incidental  in  New  Testament  teaching  was  difficult  for  many ; 
so  fifty  years  ago  two  tendencies  in  Christian  thinking  were 
developed  and  have  kept  step  with  the  life  and  growth  of 
the  Disciples.  The  causes  and  development  of  these  elements 
are  well  stated  by  Prof.  B.  J.  Radford  in  these  words: 

There  were,  as  in  all  parties  and  organizations,  conservatives  and 
progressives  in  our  early  churches.  When  in  any  movement  the  pro- 
gressive   element    becomes    active    and    aggressive,    the    conservatives 


652  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

become  reactionary.  "Extremes  beget  extremes,"  and  just  in  propor- 
tion as  progressives  go  too  fast  or  too  far,  the  conservatives  go  too 
slow,  or  countermarch.  When  the  progressives,  as  they  often  do,  both 
in  state  and  church,  show  a  readiness  to  adopt  new  things  without 
much  regard  as  to  their  constitutionaHty  or  orthodoxy,  the  conserva- 
tives begin  to  suspect  and  oppose  everything  they  adopt  without  much 
regard  to  its  constitutionality  or  orthodoxy  or  desirability.  It  was  not 
until  after  the  Civil  \\  ar  that  these  two  tendencies  became  sufficiently 
pronounced  amorg  us  to  cause  contention  and  partisanship.  But  the 
conservatism  of  the  first  decade  after  the  Civil  War  would  be  liberal 
in  comparison  with  its  character  to-day,  and  the  progressivism  of  that 
decade  would  seem  almost  reactionary  comj^ared  with  that  of  to-day. 
Verily,  we  see  an  extreme  begetting  an  extreme.  Premising  that  it 
would  be  unfair  to  our  early  conservative  and  progressive  leaders  to 
hold  them  responsible  for  the  extremes  into  which  the  movements 
which  they  promoted  have  run,  we  may  say  that  these  two  movements 
in  the  churches  of  Christ  were  led,  respectively,  by  two  great  and  good 
men — Benjamin  Franklin  and  Isaac  Errett.  About  these  gathered  cap- 
tains of  hundreds  and  captains  of  thousands.  The  conservatives  had 
an  influential  and  ably  edited  organ  in  the  American  Christian  Review. 
This  prompted  the  establishment  of  the  Christian  Standard,  as  the 
organ  of  the  progressive  element,  which  under  the  sane  and  brilliant 
guidance  of  Isaac  Errett  became  a  mighty  force  in  our  evangelistic, 
missionary  and  educational  development. 

The  great  body  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  the  United 
States  is  not  aligned  with  either  extreme,  but  is  the  middle- 
of-the-road  class.  They  are  open-minded,  hospitable  toward 
all  truth,  and  have  a  supreme  regard  for  the  authority  of  the 
Bible.  The  conservatives  have  differed  widely  among  them- 
selves. Those  of  this  element  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee 
are  of  a  type  and  class  superior  to  those  in  Illinois.  Plere, 
for  the  last  twenty-live  years,  Min.  Daniel  Sommer,  of 
Indiana,  has  been  the  recognized  leader.  While  he  has  per- 
sistently declined  to  make  any  reply  to  direct  communications 
of  the  writer,  his  position  may  be  learned  from  the  so-called 
Sand  Creek  Address  and  Declaration,  of  which  he  is  the 
accredited  author,  or,  at  least,  its  inspirer.     It  is  as  follows: 

^Teeting  assembled  at  Sand  Creek  (Church),  Shelby  Co.,  111.,  Aug. 
17,  1£89. 
To  all  those  whom  it  may  concern,  Greeting: 

Brethren — For  many  years,  as  Disciples  of  Christ,  we  have  taken 
the  position  that  in  matters  of  doctrine  and  practice,  where  the  Bible 


MISCELLANEA  653 

speaks,  we  speaic,  and  where  the  Bible  is  silent,  we  are  silent.  We  have 
hcid  that  notiiing  should  be  thought,  received  or  practiced  religiously 
for  which  we  can  not  produce  a  "Thus  saith  the  Lord."  For  a  long 
time  the  above  principles  were  satisfactorily  observed  and  we  were 
happy  and  prosperous,  with  one  heart,  and  we  lived  in  peace  and  grew 
in  strength  through  the  harmony  of  our  creed  for  the  restoration  of 
primitive  apostolic  Christianity  in  spirit  and  in  practice.  We  discarded 
all  man-made  laws,  rules,  disciplines  and  confessions  of  faith  as  a 
means  of  governing  the  church.  \v'e  call  attention  to  some  painful 
facts  and  considerations.  There  are  among  us  those  who  teach  and 
practice  things  not  taught  nor  found  in  the  New  Testament.  Against 
these  we  have  repeatedly  protested.  Vv'e  complain  of  and  protest 
against  unlawful  methods  resorted  to  in  order  to  raise  money  for  relig- 
ious purposes ;  the  holding  of  church  festivals  of  various  kinds ;  the 
selected  choir ;  the  man-society  and  missionary  work ;  the  one-man- 
imported  preacher;  these  being  objectionable  and  unauthorized  things 
now  taught  and  practiced  in  many  congregations  to  the  great  grief  and 
mortification  of  some  of  the  members.  To  those  who  teach  such 
things  and  to  those  who  practice  the  same  we  submit  that  they  are  not 
in  harmony  with  the  gospel,  but  in  opposition  thereto ;  that  it  is  only 
safe  to  teach  and  practice  what  the  divine  record  enjoins  upon  the 
disciples.  We  beg  you  to  turn  speedily  and  at  once  from  such  things. 
To  you  who  practice  and  teach  these  vicious  things  we  say  that  we 
can  not  tolerate  the  things  of  which  we  complain.  This  Address  and 
Declaration  is  net  made  in  the  spirit  of  envy  or  hate  or  malice;  it  is 
only  actuated  from  a  sense  of  duty,  believing  that  the  time  has  come 
when  a  more  dcUnite  character  should  be  known  and  recognized 
between  the  church  and  the  world.  \\  ith  this  end  in  view,  and  for  the 
purpose  of  counteracting  the  usages  and  practices,  this  effort  on  the  part 
of  the  congregations  below  named  is  made;  from  a  sense  of  duty  we 
say:  That  all  who  are  guilty  of  teaching,  allowing  or  practicing  the 
many  innovations  aid  corruptions  to  which  we  have  referred,  after 
having  been  admonished  and  having  had  time  for  reflection,  if  you  do 
not  turn  from  such  abominations,  we  can  not  and  will  not  longer 
regard  you  as  brethren. 

This  document  bears  thirteen  sipfnatures,  claiming  to  rep- 
resent five  country  congregations.  Kindness  impels  the  with- 
holding of  these  names.  This  crass  and  papistic  address  is 
silent  on  "the  organ  question,"  which  was  the  crux  of  the 
controversy.  To  paralyze  Christian  activities  is  supreme 
folly,  and  to  divide  churches  of  Christ  by  questions  of 
opinion  is  a  heinous  sin.  It  seems  never  to  have  occurred 
to  the  radical  advocates  of  these  opinions  that,  according  to 


654  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IX    ILLINOIS 

themselves,  the  Scriptures  are  silent  on  most  of  these  things 
and  therefore  they  themselves  should  be.  A  good  man  and 
a  long-time  elder  in  one  of  the  best  churches  in  the  State 
says :  *'The  conservatives  are  for  the  most  part  good  Christian 
people.  They  are  narrow  and  need  educating.  Fifty  years 
ago  many  of  us  whom  they  now  call  progressives  were  con- 
servatives. Treat  them  kindly  and  in  a  few  years  they  will 
be  progressives  and  we  will  again  be  conservatives." 

All  that  can  be  here  written  of  the  extreme  progressives 
is  this:  An  association  of  scholarly  and  younger  men  was 
formed  to  propagate  their  peculiar  teachings.  It  was  called 
*'The  Campbell  Institute"  and  had  its  headquarters  in 
Chicago,  where  for  a  time  it  published  the  Scroll  as  the 
organ  of  its  propaganda.  It  furnished  the  ministers  who  in 
late  years  have  left  the  catholic  position  of  the  Disciples  of 
Christ  for  denominationalism.  The  present  position  and  aims 
of  these  progressives  are  given  in  the  following  statement: 

\.  Constant  restatement  to  ourselves  and  the  Christian  world  of 
the  conditions  which  inspired  the  leaders  of  the  movement  to  their 
early  efforts,  and  the  historic  reasons  for  the  origin,  growth  and  con- 
tinuance of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  the  efforts  to  promote  the  unity 
of  the  church. 

2.  Present  and  continued  efforts  to  promote  the  actual  unity  of  the 
churches  as  imposed  by  our  history  and  justified  by  the  experience  of 
the  church  during  the  past  century  and  more. 

3.  Earnest  co-operation  with  all  Christian  forces  in  the  efforts  to 
realize  this  unity.  In  such  a  work  some  body  of  people  will  naturally 
have  to  take  the  lead.  The  Disciples  are  committed  to  such  efforts  by 
their  historic  testimony  and  many  notable  examples  of  practical  effort 
in  this  direction.  It  is  their  duty  to  be  leaders  and  not  mere  followers 
in  such  a  crusade.  This  need  involve  no  compromise  in  matters^  of 
conviction.  Nothing  would  be  gained  by  such  a  shading  of  conviction. 
At  the  same  time,  some  will  be  able  in  all  good  conscience  to  go  further 
than  others  in  their  overtures  for  common  work  and  worship,  and  by 
efforts  of  this  character  the  cause  of  Christian  unity  will  be  promoted. 

4.  That  unity  will  take  form  most  speedily  in  the  actual^  forrna- 
tion  of  union  churches  in  localities  where  Disciples  can  unite  with 
Baptists,  Corgregationalists,  or  others,  reducing  competition  and  pro- 
moting the  interests  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  This  type  of  union  will 
probably  become  increasingly  common  as  the  movement  spreads.  It 
will  not  interfere  with  such  exchanges  of  courtesies  as  may  promote 


MISCELLANEA  655 

good  feelings  between  various  religious  bodies.  But,  in  the  nature  of 
the  case,  it  will  give  visible  demonstration  of  the  practical  nature  of 
that  unity  toward  which  the  church  looks  with  hope.  The  exchange  of 
ministers  by  the  different  religious  bodies  will  be  a  step  in  the  same 
direction,  where  such  action  involves  no  surrender  of  convictions,  but 
only  a  recognition  of  the  broader  fellowship  of  the  churches. 

5.  The  necessary  ground  and  justification  for  these  efforts  to 
realize  the  ideals  of  unity  in  a  practical  way  is  the  recognition  by  the 
Disciples  of  Christ  of  the  Christian  character  and  brotherhood  of  all 
the  followers  of  Jesus  of  whatever  name,  and  the  frank  and  generous 
avowal  that  the  convictions  and  beliefs  of  all  such  must  be  held  sacred 
and  significant  in  any  plan  of  unity.  One  need  not  share  in  all  regards 
the  beliefs  or  customs  of  his  religious  neighbors  in  order  to  yield  to 
them  the  right  of  testimony  and  practice,  under  the  obligations  of  con- 
science and  loyalty  to  Christ.  We  are  not  keepers  of  our  brothers' 
consciences,  but  we  are  witnesses  of  a  great  and  neglected  truth,  and 
of  the  fact  that  truth  is  entirely  consistent  with  variety  of  doctrine  and 
usage,  within  the  broad  circle  of  the  Christian  faith. 

6.  What  form  the  united  church  of  the  future  may  take  does  not 
concern  us.  We  may  have  our  own  beliefs  on  that  question.  But  we 
may  be  assured  that  the  Spirit  of  God,  operating  in  the  lives  of  believ- 
ers, will  form  for  Himself  a  body  such  as  shall  be  fitted  for  the  largest 
service  in  the  furtherance  of  the  ideals  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

This  program  elicits  little  criticism  where  its  advocates 
hold  fast  the  Deity  of  Jesus  and  make  the  word  of  God  a 


finality. 

Slavery. 

What  was  the  attitude  of  the  Disciples  in  Illinois  toward 
slavery?  By  1861  they  had  grown  to  number  possibly  twenty 
thousand  in  the  State.  In  all  discussions  upon  the  question 
of  slavery  that  culminated  in  the  Dred  Scott  decision — the 
deepest  and  most  damning  nadir  of  our  national  annals — 
they  were  active  participants.  In  the  thirties,  forties  and 
fifties  many  Disciples  came  into  Illinois  from  Kentucky,  Ten- 
nessee and  Virginia.  Some  of  those  who  settled  in  the 
border  counties  were  pro-slavery,  but  the  most  of  these 
immigrants  came  because  of  their  aversion  to  the  "peculiar 
institution."  For  example,  Ben  Major,  who  came  from  Ken- 
tucky and  settled  in  Walnut  Grove  in  the  early  thirties,  freed 
his  slaves  and  sent  his  agent  with  them  to  New  York  City 
in  1834  to  pay  their  passage  to  Liberia.     Of  those  Disciples 


656  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN   ILLINOIS 

who  came  into  Illinois,  during  the  three  decades  named,  from 
the  States  east  of  us,  nearly  all  were  antislavery  except  those 
from  southern  Indiana.  In  the  early  forties  two  colonies  of 
Ohio  people  came  to  Illinois.  Of  these,  Dr.  J.  P.  Walters, 
now  a  resident  of  Fairfield,  says:  "The  two  colonies  of 
Christians  who  came  from  Ohio  and  settled  in  Wayne 
County  in  earlier  years  were  decidedly  antislavery  in  their 
political  convictions,  there  being  abolitionists  in  each  of  the 
companies.  These  people  were  important  factors  in  mould- 
ing the  political  sentiment  in  this  county  in  the  years  1840 
to  1861.  The  attitude  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  during 
those  years  throughout  this  portion  of  the  State  was  deci- 
dedly antislavery,  but  in  border  counties  pro-slavery  sentiment 
prevailed.  In  evidence  of  which  it  is  a  fact  that  this  county 
raised  more  than  its  quota  of  soldiers  in  every  call  for  vol- 
unteers, and  that  the  prevailing  religious  convictions  in  quite 
a  number  of  the  military  organizations  in  this  part  of  the 
State  was  that  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ." 

Edwards  County,  sometimes  called  "Little  Britain," 
because  so  many  English  people  settled  there  in  the  earlier 
years,  was  not  only  opposed  to  slavery,  but  outlawed  the 
liquor  traffic  fifty  years  ago.  The  preponderating  religious 
influence  in  the  county  during  that  period  has  been  that  of 
the  Disciples. 

Hon.  W.  H.  Johnson  was  a  member  of  the  House  from 
White  County  in  the  General  Assembly  of  1882.  The  family 
to  which  he  belongs  has  been  noted  for  its  intelligence  and 
patriotism  for  150  years.  He  affirms  that  most  of  the  Dis- 
ciples in  that  part  of  Illinois  in  its  formative  period  were 
opposed  to  slavery. 

The  Gale  families  came  from  Ohio  into  Lake  County,  the 
Moffett  and  Hawk  families  into  Carroll  County  in  the  early 
years.     These  were  all  antislavery  people. 

The  writer  is  indebted  to  Prof.  B.  J.  Radford,  the  "Sage 
of  Eureka,"  for  the  following: 

Oi  the  Disciples  of  Christ  who  came  into  Illinois  np  to  1861.  the  great 
majority  were  immigrants  from    Kentucky,    Tennessee    and    Virginia. 


MISCELLANEA  657 

They  were  pretty  evenly  divided  between  Henry  Clay  Whigs  and  Jack- 
son Democrats — the  Whigs  predominating  in  the  central  and  the  Demo- 
crats in  the  southern  portions  of  the  State.  The  Clay  Whigs  leaned 
strongly  toward  abolitionism  and  many  of  them  were  supporters  of 
the  Liberian  Colonization  Society.  The  Democrats  were  mostly  pro- 
slivery,  or  indifferent  to  the  slavery  question. 

In  the  breaking  up  and  recasting  of  parties  in  the  fifties,  the 
Whigs  in  the  churches  of  Christ  generally  became  Republicans  and 
the  Democrats  followed  Douglas.  When  Douglas  was  repudiated  by 
the  pro-slavery  Democrats,  the  majority  of  his  followers  among  the 
Disciples  remained  loyal,  but  a  considerable  minority  supported  Breck- 
enridge — probably  one-sixth  of  the  voters  in  our  churches  in  the  State. 
When  the  Secession  movement  began,  the  patriotic  course  of  Douglas 
rallied  his  followers  almost  unanimously  to  the  defense  of  the  Union. 
Many  of  them  from  our  churches  entered  the  military  service  and  a 
considerable  per  cent,  of  them  came  out  Republicans.  Not  a  few  of 
the  Breckenridge  followers  sympathized  with  the  Secessionists,  and 
some  of  them  gave  aid  and  comfort  to  the  enemy.  I  believe  that  more 
than  90  per  cent,  of  our  people  in  the  State  were  loyal,  a  good  showing 
when  we  consider  their  antecedents. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  a  few  representative 
Disciples  of  Christ  who  were  active  in  their  antislavery 
views :  Dr.  W.  P.  Naramore,  of  Stephenson  County ;  Mins. 
A.  H.  Trowbridge  and  H.  D.  Palmer,  of  Marshall;  Ben 
Major,  of  Woodford;  William  T.  Major,  of  McLean;  John 
Johnson  and  Min.  Geo.  W.  Minier,  of  Tazewell;  J.  W. 
Simpson  and  Col.  J.  W.  Judy,  of  Menard;  J.  S.  Anderson 
and  Min.  E.  G.  Rice,  of  Morgan ;  William  B.  King  and 
William  S.  Pickerill,  of  Sangamon ;  George  Redmon,  of 
Edgar;  Min.  William  Schooley,  of  Clay,  and  Dr.  John  Kos- 
south  Ashley,  of  Wayne.  These  men  were  the  peers  in  every 
way  of  their  contemporaries  in  these  several  counties — intel- 
ligent, strong,  active  and  forceful  citizens — and  they  were 
only  a  few  of  a  great  host. 

Many  Democrats  in  the  North  held  with  Mr.  Douglas  to 
the  doctrine  of  "popular  sovereignty,"  but  the  attack  on  Fort 
Sumter,  Apr.  12,  1861,  by  Traitor  Beauregard  opened  their 
eyes  to  see  the  real  spirit  and  aim  of  the  slaveocracy.  They 
would  let  the  black  race  suffer  on,  but  they  could  not  see  our 
flag  shot  into  the  dust.    Then  quickly  indifference  gave  place 


658  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

to  patriotic  devotion  to  the  Union,  the  preservation  of  whose 
integrity  was  then  paramount  to  all  things  else.  From  a 
wide  range  of  personal  acquaintance  and  many  sources  of 
information,  the  conclusion  of  the  writer  is  that  less  than 
two  per  cent,  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  Illinois  sympa- 
thized enough  with  the  would-be  Confederacy  to  even  wish 
for  its  success. 

It  is  proper  to  note  here  that  a  number  of  the  great 
Protestant  churches  had  been  split  in  two  by  the  question  of 
slavery  long  before  its  climax  was  reached  in  the  Civil  War. 
But  the  Disciples  of  Christ  went  through  that  frightful 
shock  without  even  a  thought  of  division.  Their  common 
faith  in  the  conquering  Christ  and  the  catholic  gospel  subor- 
dinated lifelong  prejudices  and  flaming  political  passions  to 
the  interests  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 


Problems  of  the  Rural  Churches. 

Had  President  Roosevelt  done  nothing  else  than  to  set 
the  American  people  to  thinking  upon  questions  of  country 
life,  his  administration  would  go  into  history  as  momentous. 
The  commission  that  was  appointed  at  his  suggestion  made 
its  investigation  of  living  conditions  in  rural  localities  and 
submitted  its  report  to  Congress,  but,  for  some  reason,  or 
no  reason,  Congress  refused  to  publish  it.  Parts  of  it  were 
given  to  the  public  by  newspapers,  and  so  the  leaders  in  sec- 
ular education,  including  particularly  scientific  agriculture, 
have  taken  up  the  work.  And  since  then  the  Department  of 
Agriculture  has  instituted  a  Rural  Organization  Service,  of 
which  Dr.  Thomas  N.  Carver  is  the  head.  There  are  six 
million  farmers  in  the  United  States.  Nearly  two  and  a  half 
million  of  the  farms  are  worked  by  tenants,  which  compli- 
cates all  rural  problems. 

Christian  men  are  primarily  interested  in  the  religious 
conditions  of  rural  communities.  In  Illinois,  country  society 
has  been  in  a  continual  flux  during  the  last  sixty  years. 
Towns  grew  as  steam  railroads  were  built,  and  thus  many 


MISCELLANEA  659 

country  congregations  gave  up  their  lives.  These  were  also 
further  affected  by  the  construction  of  suburban  Hues,  by 
the  removal  of  land-owners  from  the  country  to  towns  and 
cities  and  renting  their  lands,  by  emigration  to  the  farther 
West,  and  by  the  introduction  and  use  of  automobiles.  The 
forces  of  evolution — domestic,  social,  economic,  civic  and 
religious — are  active  and  potent  in  American  life. 

Among  the  ministers  of  the  Christian  Church  in  the  State, 
Min.  J.  W.  Street,  of  Mackinaw,  has  given  the  subject  of 
rural  congregations  more  earnest  study  than  any  other.  The 
facts  he  furnishes  should  challenge  the  most  serious  atten- 
tion. In  his  classifications,  all  churches  in  places  of  twelve 
hundred  people  or  less  are  counted  rural.  He  bases  his  con- 
clusions on  our  year  book's  data  and  the  Federal  census  of 
1910,  and  they  are  as  near  accurate  as  they  can  be  made. 
The  total  number  of  Christian  Churches  in  Illinois  in  1911 
was  745,  of  which  559  were  rural.  Of  these  rural  congrega- 
tions, 173  reported  in  1911  a  total  gain  of  5,736;  188 
reported  an  aggregate  loss  of  5,454,  while  198  had  neither 
gained  nor  lost ;  thus  the  net  gain  for  the  559  churches  for 
the  year  was  282. 

For  the  year  closing  June  30,  1912,  150  rural  churches 
reported  a  gain  of  4,592  members,  152  of  them  a  loss  of 
4,407  communicants,  and  215  had  neither  gained  nor  lost; 
thus  517  rural  churches  in  that  year  had  a  net  gain  of  only 
185  members. 

These  559  congregations  were  served  by  249  ministers, 
but  many  of  these  preached  where  they  did  not  reside. 

Not  until  1910  did  the  State  Board  of  Missions  give  par- 
ticular attention  to  this  wide,  important  and  needy  field.  The 
convention  of  1913  voted  to  place  a  trained  expert  in  this 
service  as  soon  as  the  finances  would  warrant. 

Mr.  Street  savs  further:  In  1910,  168  rural  churches 
gave  $1,995  for  State  Missions;  in  1911,  198  gave  $2,286  for 
the  same  work,  and,  in  1912,  204  such  congregations  gave 
$2,646  for  the  same  cause. 

Further,  he  addressed  a  list  of  questions  to  a  number  of 


660  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

ministers  in  Illinois  serving  churches  in  cities  of  ten  thou- 
sand or  more  population,  from  twenty-three  of  whom  replies 
were  received.  First  twenty  of  these  twenty-three  city  min- 
isters were  converted  in  rural  churches,  as  were  also  fourteen 
of  the  Bible-school  superintendents  and  eighteen  of  the  chair- 
men of  the  boards  of  officers ;  eighteen  of  these  pastors 
began  their  ministries  in  rural  communities,  but  only  five  of 
these  while  so  engaged  made  any  specific  study  of  the  com- 
munity with  reference  to  its  economic,  social,  educational 
and  recreational  needs.  The  figures  indicate  the  large  con- 
tribution that  our  rural  churches  have  made  to  our  metro- 
politan ministry. 

In  looking  into  the  youthhood  of  Christian  ministers,  the 
phrase,  ''grew  up  on  the  farm,"  occurs  with  surprising  fre- 
quency. The  great  value  of  rural-church  work  is  illustrated 
by  the  lives  of  two  brothers — W.  J.  and  G.  T.  Carpenter. 
They  were  born  in  Nelson  County,  Ky.,  and  brought  to  Illi- 
nois by  their  widowed  mother  when  the  younger,  George  T., 
was  eight  years  of  age.  They  passed  their  boyhood's  years 
on  a  farm  in  Bureau  County.  Both  secured  a  college  educa- 
tion. They  opened  a  preparatory  school  Sept.  2,  1861,  in 
the  unfinished  building  at  Oskaloosa,  la.  The  next  year 
they  began  the  work  of  the  college.  The  older  brother 
taught  there  eight  years,  and  then  went  to  California  because 
of  his  wife's  poor  health.  George  T.  served  as  a  teacher  in 
the  school  for  ten  years,  then  gave  four  years  to  editorial 
work  on  the  Evangelist  and'  returned  to  the  college  in  1877 
as  its  president.  In  1881  he  became  chancellor  of  Drake 
University  and  gave  efficient  service  in  that  position  till  his 
death  in  1893.     Mrs.  W.  B.  Craig  is  his  daughter. 


Uncle  Joe  and  Aunt  Ann  Willson 

(An  incident  of  the  earlier  days.) 

The  following  incident  is  from  the  pleasing  pen  of  ^lin. 
T.  T.  Holton.     It  well  illustrates  the  simplicity,  trustfulness, 


MISCELLANEA  661 

devotion  and  fidelity  of  the  earlier  days.     Mr.  Holton  was 
pastor  at  Vincennes,  Ind.,  at  the  time.    He  says: 

It  was  midsummer  of  1866,  and  the  sands  were  hot  in  the  streets  of 
old  Vincennes.  1  was  then  about  six  months  along  in  my  first  pas- 
torate. On  many  accounts,  a  vacation  would  have  given  me  multiplied 
satisfaction.  One  Saturday  morning  there  came  to  my  door  two  old- 
fashioned  persons  in  a  one-horse,  old-time  buggy.  The  man  in  the  case 
beckoned  me  to  approach,  and  informed  me  at  once  that  they  two  were 
Uncle  Joe  and  Aunt  Ann  Willson,  on  their  way  to  Allison  Prairie,  111., 
for  a  week's  meeting,  and  desired  me  to  get  ready  at  once  and  go  with 
them.  Said  Uncle  Joe :  "I  am  old  and  heavy,  and  am  not  able  to 
preach.  I  want  you  to  go  along  and  do  the  preaching.  I'll  manage 
and  maybe  exhort  a  little,  and  Aunt  Ann  will  put  in  a  word  when  she 
feels  like,  and  there  is  nothing  better  on  hand." 

"But,  Bro.  \\  illson,"  I  said,  "it  is  now  Saturday;  there  is  no  one  to 
fill  my  place  to-morrow.  And,  besides,  I  would  not  think  it  right  for 
me  to  go  away  without  seeing  some  of  the  officers  of  the  church 
in  regard  to  it."  "Bro.  Holton,  I  will  wait  fifteen  minutes ;  you  rush 
around  and  see  one  or  two  if  you  think  it  necessary.  And  tell  them 
that  Uncle  Joe  wants  you,  and  wants  you  bad,  and  wants  you  right  otY, 
for  I  have  an  appointment  to  hold  meeting  at  eleven  o'clock  this  forenoon 
at  a  schoolhouse  between  Vincennes  and  Allison  Prairie."  The  upshot 
of  it  was,  I  went.  "Get  right  in  with  us;  it  will  be  a  little  snug,  but 
it's  warm  and  we  can  stand  it."  People  noticed  us  as  we  passed  down 
the  street  and  over  the  Wabash.  "Bro.  Willson,"  said  I,  "you  don't 
expect  that  there'll  be  any  meeting  a  hot  day  like  this,  and  Saturday  at 
that?"  "Indeed,  I  do.  When  I  was  here  a  year  ago  I  announced  it  in 
the  hearing  of  all  that  I  would  be  thar — Saturday  before  the  first 
Lord's  Day  in  August — one  year  from  that  time.  And  I'll  be  there  and 
there'll  be  a  meeting."  "Of  course,  you  have  written  them  within  a 
few  weeks,  reminding  them  of  the  appointment."  "No,  sir;  not  one 
word  has  passed  between  us  in  the  twelve  months.  But  this  is  the  way 
I've  done  for  years.  They  know  Uncle  Joe'Il  be  there,  and  I  know 
they'll  be  there.  So  be  thinking,  for  you'll  have  to  preach — if  I  give 
out."  Aunt  Ann  nodded  that  that  was  just  the  way  it  would  be.  Uncle 
Joe  was  right.  We  had  a  crowd.  And  all  three  of  us  took  some  part 
in  the  meeting.  At  the  close  Uncle  Joe  said  to  the  congregation : 
"To-night  we  begin  a  seven  days'  meeting  on  Allison  Prairie.  And  I 
want  you  all  to  be  there — this  may  be  Uncle  Joe's  last  trip  to  Illinois." 
At  night  the  schoolhouse  on  Allison  Prairie  could  scarcely  hold  the 
people.  After  preaching.  Uncle  Joe  talked  a  few  minutes  while  I 
fanned  him  with  my  huge  palm-leaf  fan.  He  told  the  people  that  he 
was  there  for  their  good,  that  he  simply  wanted  them  to  do  r'ght.  and 
that  less  than  seven  confessions — one  for  each  day — was  net  to  be 
thought  of.    He  and  Aunt  Ann  met  with  a  hearty  greetinff.    Even  the 


662  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

day  meetings  were  well  attended.  And  there  was  great  enthusiasm.  It 
was  hot  night  and  day.  No  one  could  walk  barefooted  on  the  sand  till 
the  sun  went  down.  The  house  was  packed  with  eager  listeners  every 
night.  And  toward  the  end  of  the  week  the  yard  was  full.  The  people 
were  so  close  to  me  1  could  make  no  gestures,  and  1  was  as  wet  while 
preaching  as  if  I  had  been  dipped  in  the  Wabash.  Then  I  took  the 
fan,  and  Uncle  Joe,  either  sitting  or  standing,  would  tell  the  folks  they 
ought  to  do  right.  Aunt  Ann  did  the  most  of  her  talking  at  the  day 
meetings.  The  necessity  for  a  meeting-house  large  enough  to  hold  the 
people  was  grandly  evident,  and  before  the  close  of  the  meeting  $1,400 
was  subscribed  to  that  end.  On  the  seventh  and  last  night  of  the  meet- 
ing, four  young  girls  were  handed  through  the  windows  by  their  par- 
ents and  friends  and  managed  to  get  near  enough  to  the  preacher  for 
him  to  take  their  confessions.  Saturday  morning  found  us  at  Russell- 
ville  for  one  more  sermon  and  for  baptism.  There  were  several  addi- 
tions at  that  meeting.  And  I  remember  baptizing  twenty-two  persons 
at  that  time.  We  had  other  baptisms,  I  think,  during  the  v^-eek,  so  that 
at  least  twenty-seven  additions  were  gained.  "My  time  is  up,"  said 
Uncle  Joe,  "and  I  must  go  on  to  Hutsonville,  for  I  told  them  a  year 
ago  I  would  be  there  to-night."  They  gave  Uncle  Joe  and  Aunt  Ann 
$28,  and  they  were  very  glad  and  thankful.  He  told  me  he  had 
preached  for  years  without  any  pay  whatever,  except  "two  bits"  that  a 
sister  brought  in  the  corner  of  her  apron,  and  he  spent  that  for  fer- 
riage before  he  got  home.  He  gave  large  credit  to  Aunt  Ann,  who  ran 
the  sawmill  at  home  while  he  was  away  preaching. 

The  year  following,  Uncle  Joe  was  on  hand  again,  making  his 
annual  round,  and  this  time  he  impressed  Bro.  Alvord  into  service. 
And  again  there  were  many  additions.  He  notified  me  that  the  bap- 
tizing would  be  done  just  across  from  Vincennes ;  so  a  number  of  us 
went  out  and  greeted  the  veteran,  and  witnessed  the  baptisms.  And 
here  a  singular  circumstance  happened.  There  was  a  gypsy  camp  near 
by.  and  before  the  meeting  concluded  an  aged  gypsy  came  forward  and 
made  the  good  confession.  Upon  arising  from  the  water,  he  put  his 
hand  into  his  pocket,  pulled  out  a  silver  dollar,  and  offered  it  to  the 
preacher.  Of  course,  it  was  refused.  He  told  me  he  had  been  a 
believer  for  a  long  time  and  had  greatly  desired  to  be  baptized.  He 
went  on  his  way  rejoicing. 

I  never  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Uncle  Joe  and  Aunt  Ann 
again.  They  have  long  since  gone  to  their  reward.  I  am  hoping  to 
meet  them  in  the  city  that  hath  foundations.  .  .  .  Joseph  Willson  took 
his  stand  with  the  Disciples  in  1833.  He  organized  over  forty  churches 
and  received  more  than  two  thousand  converts.  His  home  was  in,  or 
near,  Loogootee,  Ind.,  at  the  time  of  the  above  meetings. 


MISCELLANEA  663 


CHRISTIAN    PAPERS    PUBLISHED    BY   THE 
DISCIPLES    OF    CHRIST. 

This  survey  does  not  include  the  pubHcations  of  local 
churches. 

The  Christian  Messenger. — This  was  the  first  periodical 
published  in  Illinois  in  the  advocacy  of  the  New  Testament 
order.  It  was  moved  by  its  owner  and  editor,  Barton  W. 
Stone,  from  Georgetown,  Ky.,  to  Jacksonville,  III,  in  1833. 
It  continued  with  some  interruptions  till  1847,  when  it  was 
merged  with  the  Bible  Advocate.  In  1838,  Mr.  Stone 
moved  to  his  farm  near  Jacksonville  and  the  publication  of 
the  paper  was  discontinued  for  awhile.  It  was  announced  in 
December  that  it  would  shortly  reappear  at  Columbia,  Mo., 
but  this  aim  was  not  reached.  At  that  date  it  was  "hoped 
that  letters  may  not  come  to  us  free  from  postage."  Its  pub- 
lication was  begun  again  in  September,  1840,  at  Jackson- 
ville. It  was  then  a  thirty-two-page  monthly,  with  Thomas 
M.  Allen  and  Jacob  Creath,  Jr.,  both  of  Missouri,  as  asso- 
ciate editors.  In  1843  it  was  announced  that  the  Messenger 
had  not  been  issued  for  several  months,  the  ice  having 
blockaded  navigation  in  the  Illinois  River  so  that  no  stock 
paper  could  be  had.  Further,  that,  by  the  advice  and  co-op- 
eration of  D.  P.  Henderson,  its  publication  would  be  resumed 
soon. 

The  Berean. — Alexander  Graham  came  from  Tuscaloosa, 
Ala.,  where  he  had  published  The  Disciple,  to  Springfield, 
111.,  in  1838.  There  he  founded  The  Berean.  It  was  a 
"monthly  magazine,  neatly  gotten  up  on  good  paper  and  con- 
tained much  sense  and  valuable  information."  Evidently  it 
was  short-lived. 

The  Christian  was  published  at  Edwardsville  in  1847.  A. 
Padon  was  editor.  Price,  75  cents  per  year.  Nothing  fur- 
ther has  been  learned  about  it. 

The  Monthly  Commentator. — There  is  still  extant  a  notice 
of  the  discontinuance  of  this  publication  in  1865  for  lack  of 


664  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES   IN    ILLINOIS 

patronage.  Alfred  Padon  was  its  editor.  No  post-office  is 
given.  The  same  notice  says  that  there  were  three  period- 
icals published  by  Illinois  brethren  that  year. 

The  Christian  Freeman  was  published  at  Jacksonville  in 
1860.     Of  it  nothing  more  is  known. 

The  Bible  Advocate. — The  place  of  publication  was 
changed  from  Jacksonville  to  Carrollton  in  1860.  E.  L. 
Craig  and  J.  S.  Sweeney  were  its  editors.  It  is  highly 
improbable  that  two  Christian  papers  were  published  in  Jack- 
sonville the  same  year ;  hence,  it  may  be  that  the  Advocate 
was  a  new  name  for  the  Freeman. 

The  Gospel  Echo. — A  monthly  magazine.  E.  L.  Craig, 
editor.  It  was  pubHshed  in  Quincy  in  1859.  From  1861  to 
1869  it  appeared  from  Carrollton.  It  is  probable  that  it 
absorbed  the  Bible  Advocate  in  1864.  In  1865  The  Echo 
appeared  as  a  weekly,  but  its  financial  support  was  such  that 
it  could  not  long  be  continued  as  such.  In  1S68,  The  Echo 
went  to  Macomb,  with  J.  C.  Reynolds  as  editor.  Shortly 
thereafter,  J.  H.  Garrison  became  associate  editor.  In  1869, 
The  Echo  bought  the  Christian  Herald.  This  was  a  small 
monthly  owned  and  edited  by  J.  W.  Karr  and  Dudley  Downs. 
It  was  started  at  Wapella  in  1865.  The  next  year  it  was 
moved  to  Eureka,  where  its  publication  was  continued  till 
1869. 

Early  in  1872,  The  Echo  bought  The  Ch'istian,  then  pub- 
lished at  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  and  the  two  papers  then  consoli- 
dated. The  Echo  was  moved  from  Macomb  to  Quincy  in 
March,  1872.  There  the  paper  was  issued  weekly  under  the 
title  of  The  Gospel  Echo  and  Christian.  One  year  there- 
after the  name  was  shortened  to  The  Christian.  It  was  the 
purpose  of  the  editors  of  The  Echo  in  1871  to  take  the  paper 
to  Chicago,  and  arrangements  had  been  fully  effected,  but 
the  great  fire  in  October  burned  them  all  away.  The  Chris- 
tian Publishing  Company  was  organized  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in 
November,  1873,  and  the  Quincy  paper  went  there  as  part  of 
the  company's  assets,  in  January,  1874. 

The  Evangelist  came  in  its  thirteenth  year   from   Oska- 


MISCELLANEA  665 

loosa,  la.,  to  Chicago  in  1878,  where  it  was  published  until 
18S2.  B.  W.  Johnson  was  its  editor.  The  paper  was  the 
property  of  the  "Central  Book  Concern."  An  effort  was 
made  in  1881  to  unite  this  company  with  the  Christian  Pub- 
hshing  Company,  of  St.  Louis,  but  it  went  over  till  1882, 
when  The  Evangelist  was  consolidated  with  The  Christian 
and  left  the  State. 

The  Christian  Sentinel. — A  monthly  magazine,  edited  by 
Dr.  W.  A.  Mallory.  He  began  its  publication  in  Springfield 
in  1855.  John  F.  Rowe  was  associate  editor.  In  1857  it  was 
published  in  Peoria,  with  I.  N.  Carman  and  O.  A.  Burgess 
as  editors.     Shortly  thereafter  it  disappeared. 

The  Herald  of  Truth. — A  monthly  magazine,  the  life  of 
which  was  two  years  or  a  little  longer.  It  was  first  pub- 
lished at  De  Soto  and  then  at  Carbondale.  D.  H.  Banton 
and  John  Lindsey  were  its  editors. 

The  Evangelist  at  Work  was  a  small  paper  owned,  edited 
and  published  by  Min.  T.  S.  Wall  in  Wayne  County  for  a 
year  or  two  about  1880.  Mr.  Wall's  aim  was  to  reach  fam- 
ilies with  Christian  intelligence  who  were  reading  no  church 
paper.  His  effort  was  wholly  unselfish  and  most  commend- 
able. 

The  Rock  was  a  small  weekly  paper,  owned  and  edited 
for  several  months  in  the  early  seventies  by  Min.  T.  J.  Shel- 
ton,  who  was  then  pastor  of  the  church  at  Waverly.  The 
editor  was  erratic  and  his  paper  spicy. 

Illinois  News — a  monthly,  four-page  paper — was  edited 
and  published  by  the  State  mission  office  in  the  interest  of 
the  State  work.  It  was  begun  in  October,  1901,  and  discon- 
tinued January,  1910,  inclusive.  It  was  a  valuable  little 
paper,  but  failed  because  of  insufficient  financial  support.  It 
just  about  paid  its  way,  but  the  board  of  managers  were 
unwilling  to  employ  additional  help  that  seemed  necessary 
for  its  continuance. 

W.  H.  Boles  has  published  the  following  papers:  1890-92, 
The  Idea,  Springfield — temperance ;  1894,  Illinois  Christian, 
Eureka;  1897-99,   The  Plow  and  Hammer,  Alma — religious 


666  HISTORY    OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN   ILLINOIS 

and  educational;   1905-07,   Uncle  Sam,  Marissa — temperance 
and  patriotic. 

The  Christian  Century. — The  Christian  Oracle  was 
founded  by  Min.  F.  M.  Kirkham  and  Gen.  F.  M.  Drake  at 
Des  Moines,  la.,  in  1884.  Its  purpose  was  to  serve  particu- 
larly the  churches  of  that  State.  It  was  moved  to  Chicago 
in  1891  and  aimed  for  a  larger  constituency.  For  eight 
years  Mr.  Kirkham  continued  as  owner  and  editor.  In  1899, 
J.  H.  Garrison  purchased  the  paper,  and  his  son,  Mr.  A.  O. 
Garrison,  became  managing  editor.  For  a  short  time,  Min. 
George  A.  Campbell  was  editor.  In  1900  the  stock  of  the 
Oracle  Publishing  Company  was  bought  by  a  group  of  men, 
headed  by  Min.  Charles  A.  Young,  and  the  name  of  the 
paper  changed  to  The  Christian  Century.  During  the  next 
seven  years,  Mins.  J.  J.  Haley,  F.  G.  Terrell  and  H.  L.  Wil- 
lett  edited  the  paper.  In  1908  the  paper  was  purchased  by 
the  New  Christian  Century  Company,  a  new  corporation. 
Messrs.  C.  C.  Morrison  and  H.  L.  Willett  became  joint 
editors.  At  the  beginning  of  1913,  the  Disciples  Publication 
Society,  a  company  without  capital  stock  and  not  for 
pecuniary  profit,  was  incorporated  and  purchased  the  assets 
of  the  Century  Company.  Mr.  Morrison  is  now  the  sole 
editor,  with  Mr.  Willett  as  associate. 


Books  and  Their  Authors. 

The  following  is  an  incomplete  list  -^f  books  that  were 
written  by  their  authors  while  they  resided  in  Illinois: 

E.  S.  Ames. — The  Psychology  of  Religious  Experience; 
The  Divinity  of  Christ. 

N.  S.  Bastion. — Babylon  in  Jehovah's  Kingdom. 

Clark  Braden. — Braden-Hughey  Debate;  Braden-Kelley 
Debate;  Ingersoll  Unmasked;  Refutation  of  Accepted  Theory 
of  Dates;  Refutation  of  Atheistic  Evolution;  Problem  of 
Problems;  Trials  and  Crucifixion  of  Jesus. 

/.  H.  G.  Brinkerhoff. — History  of  Marion  County,  Illinois. 

N.  E.  Cory. — The  Polymathist. 


MISCELLANEA  (^1 

Miss  Elmira  /.  Dickinson. — History  of  Eureka  College. 

H.  IV.  Everest. — The  Divine  Demonstration ;  The  New 
Education. 

Errett  Gates. — The  Early  Relation  and  Separation  of 
Baptists  and  Disciples;  The  Disciples  of  Christ. 

George  F.  Hall. — Plain  Points  on  Personal  Purity ;  The 
Model  Woman ;  Some  American  Evils  and  Their  Remedies ; 
Tabernacle  Talks ;  Pitfalls  of  the  Ballroom ;  Revivals  and 
How  to  Have  Them ;  Belgian  Hare  Standard  Manual ;  The 
Lord's  Exchequer ;  Temple  Addresses. 

N.  S.  Haynes. — Children's  Question  Book ;  Jesus  as  a  Con- 
troversialist ;   History  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  Illinois, 

George  W.  Nance. — Nance  Memorial. 

/.  C.  Myers. — Buds  and  Flowers. 

D.  Walter  Potts. — A  Fortnight  in  London  Schools. 

B.  J.  Radford. — Court  of  Destiny. 

Charles  J.  Sco field. — A  Subtle  Adversary ;  Altar  Stairs. 

Robert  A.  Sickles. — The  Mystery  of  the  Immortality  of 
the  Soul. 

/.  Carroll  Stark. — The  King  and  His  Kingdom. 

Herbert  L.  Willett. — Basic  Truths  of  the  Christian  Faith; 
The  Call  of  the  Christ;  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus;  The 
Moral  Leaders  of  Israel  (Part  L)  :  The  Moral  Leaders  of 
Israel  (Part  II.)  ;  Our  Plea  for  Union  and  the  Present 
Crisis ;  Prophets  of  Israel ;  The  Ruling  Quality ;  Studies  in 
the  First  Book  of  Samuel ;  The  Teachings  of  the  Book. 

A.  M.  Weston. — The  Evolution  of  a  Shadow. 


The  Old  Songs. 

The  songs  and  the  singing  were  features  of  the  early 
churches  in  Illinois.  The  Disciples  desired  and  sought  to 
have  their  sacred  songs  accord  with  and  express  the  truth 
as  revealed  in  the  word  of  God.  Objectionable  matter  v/as 
eliminated.     For  example,  the  invitation  hymn  beginning, 

"Come,  humble  sinner,  in  whose  breast 
A  thousand  thoughts  revolve," 


668  HISTORY   OF   THE   DISCIPLES    IN    ILLINOIS 

was  changed  in  the  fourth  stanza  from  "Perhaps  he  will 
accept  my  plea"  to  ''Surely  he  will  accept  my  plea;"  and  in 
the  fifth  stanza  from  "I  can  but  perish  if  I  go"  to  "I  can  not 
perish  if  I  go." 

They  believed  that  the  attitude  of  Queen  Esther  before 
her  tyrant  husband,  Ahasuerus,  was  not  a  fitting  likeness 
of  a  penitent  sinner  before  the  loving  Lord  who  died  for 
him. 

They  were  also  careful  about  the  tunes  they  used.  Noth- 
ing was  sung  because  it  was  venerable  or  stately  or  had 
orthodox  sanction.  The  tunes  must  be  such  as  to  enable  the 
heart  to  understand  and  be  edified.  Toward  God  the  singing 
was  worship,  and  toward  men  instruction  and  invitation, 
encouragement  and  warning,  comfort  and  inspiration.  The 
singing,  being .  properly  regarded  as  worship,  was  never 
turned  over  to  professionals.  God's  children  praised  him. 
There  were  no  choirs,  quartets  or  soloists  nor  musical  instru- 
ments, except  sometimes  a  tuning-fork.  A  musical  brother — 
generally  an  officer  or  the  preacher — ''raised  the  tune"  or 
"started  the  hymns."  Frequently  he  marked  the  time  by  a 
patting  of  his  foot  on  the  floor.  Generally  he  "lined  out" 
the  words,  for  hymn-books  were  few  and  sold  high.  But  the 
Disciples  did  not  take  kindly  to  "lining  out."  It  was  lacking 
in  simplicity  and  equality,  upon  which  they  insisted. 

The  first  book  of  their  own  making  which  they  used  was 
without  notes — a  pudon^r  little  thing  2^  x  3%  inches,  in  pearl 
or  five-point  type.  The  book  has  1,324  hymns,  and  the  col- 
lection equals  in  its  excellence  any  now  in  use. 

The  pioneers  sang  largely  in  the  minor  strains,  for  there 
was  much  opposition,  misrepresentation  and  persecution — 
even  from  their  fellow-Christians — and  their  lives  were  full 
of  hardships  and  trials.  They  shared,  in  a  measure,  the  feel- 
ings of  the  Jews  by  the  rivers  of  Babylon,  where  they  hung 
their  harps  on  the  willows  and  sat  down  and  wept.  The 
music  of  the  pioneers  had  not  much  of  the  high  notes  of 
triumph,  success  and  victory  such  as  characterize  that  of  our 
day.     It  was    full    of    pathos,    sweetness,    earnestness    and 


MISCELLANEA  669 

strength.     Here  are  a  few  of  the  songs  they  sang  through 
many  years: 

"How  firm  a  foundation,  ye  saints  of  the  Lord, 
Is  laid  for  your  faith  in  his  excellent  word." 

"Amazing  grace !  how  sweet  the  sound ! 
That  saved  a  wretch  like  me." 

"How  happy  are  they  who  their  Saviour  obey, 
And  have  laid  up  their  treasures  above." 

"I  would  not  live  alway;  I  ask  not  to  stay 
Where  storm  after  storm  rises  dark  o'er  the  way." 

"O  Love  divine,  how  sweet  thou  art! 
When  shall  I  find  my  wandering  heart 
All  taken  up  in  thee?" 

"Blow  ye  the  trumpet,  blow 
The  gladly  solemn  sound." 

"I'm  not  ashamed  to  own  my  Lord 
Nor  to  defend  his  cause." 

"Jesus,  I  my  cross  have  taken, 
All  to  leave  and  follow  thee." 

"Go  on,  you  pflgrims,  while  below, 
In  the  sure  path  of  peace." 

"Am  I  a  soldier  of  the  cross, 
A  follower  of  the  Lamb?" 

"'Tis  religion  that  can  give 

Sweetest  pleasure  while  we  live." 

"My  Christian  friends  in  bonds  of  love. 
Whose  hearts  the  sweetest  union  prove." 

The  last  was  often  sung  at  the  close  of  their  meetings, 
or  when  some  beloved  member  was  bidden  farewell,  or  the 
preacher  was  about  to  depart  to  other  fields.  Then  the  whole 
congregation  rose,  and,  going  forward,  one  by  one,  would 
shake  hands  with  the  one  going  away,  and  this  was  generally 
attended  by  a  brotherly  handshaking  throughout  the  assembly. 

The  old  songs!  Mothers  sang  them  as  lullabies  in  their 
homes  and  their  tired  little  children  were  lulled  to  sleep.  Way- 
worn pilgrims  sang  them  and  received    new    strength    and 


670         HISTORY   OF  THE  DISCIPLES   IN   ILLINOIS 

courage.  .The  assemblies  of  God's  children  sang  them  and 
were  aquiver  with  holy  emotion  and  high  purpose.  They 
kept  fresh  in  the  Christian  conscience  the  eternal  Ought  and 
transformed  character  into  the  divine  likeness.  Age  recalls 
them  out  of  the  years  long  gone  and  wonders  whether  the 
land  of  endless  day  is  not  the  place  of  sublimest  songs  of 
eternal  youth. 


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